The Science Faculty consists of the three departments Biology, Chemistry and Physics, twelve full time teachers, three full and one part time technician. The faculty moved into its present building, the Ratcliffe building, in 1996.

Key Stage 3 pupils are taught Science according to the National Curriculum guidelines. Key Stage 4 pupils study the AQA, GCSE Core and Additional Science specifications and at Key Stage 5 pupils currently study Edexcel for ‘A’ level Biology, Edexcel Nuffield for ‘A’ level Chemistry and OCR for Advancing Physics. Results in public examinations are well above the national average at all key stages.

The Biology and Physics departments have hosted sharing best practice forums with local schools. The recent Kirkland Rowell survey revealed that parents considered delivery in Biology to be outstanding. The Physics department has received high scoring status in the Alp’s statistics for three consecutive years and the Chemistry department was recognised as achieving the best ‘A’ level results for girls in the Good Schools Guide 2006 for non selective state schools.

To support the delivery of the curriculum the faculty regularly arranges trips out of school, and invites guest speakers in. Recent examples include a forensic science day for year 11 pupils, a series of carbon footprint workshops for year 10, a conservation day, a critical thinking day and a day devoted to ‘So you want to be a Doctor?’ for sixth form pupils. ‘A’ level pupils attend revision conferences and workshops in London, Oxford and Cambridge to broaden their appreciation of subject concepts and to reinforce ideas covered during lessons. We have recently installed the Nelson Thornes Online Result package to accompany the Additional Science GCSE course. This allows pupils to sit tests on line, from the comfort of their own homes, teachers to monitor progress and together formulate individual revision programs.

A lower school Science and Technology Club, for gifted and talented pupils, runs every Monday between 4:00pm and 5:00pm and a whole range of practical activities from forensics to rockets are considered. A sixth form Medical Society meets on a fortnightly basis and activities include discussions relating to medical articles current in the media and seminars followed by question and answer sessions given by guest speakers.

Sixth form pupils, interested in becoming doctors or vets, are also encouraged to attend residential MedLink and VetLink courses held at Nottingham University in December. Pupils are encouraged to visit science institutions and complete periods of work experience to give them a taste of life after school. Each year we are fortunate to gain places for a few students to spend a week at Villiers Park in Cambridge immersing themselves in academic study in a chosen field. Selected sixth form students enter the annual British Biology and Chemistry Olympiad exams and we have an impressive array of certificates to commend their performances and Key Stage 4 pupils enter the annual Chemistry Mastermind Quiz. Many pupils go on to study pure science subjects and vocational courses involving sciences at university and there are high numbers of GCSE pupils wishing to study ‘A’ levels in all three sciences.

At all key stages pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Individual and peer marking are strategies used regularly to aid assessment for learning and so as to include the ‘pupil voice’ pupils are asked to complete questionnaires at the end of some topics so that teachers can analyse their responses and adjust the delivery of the material accordingly.

The Science Faculty is friendly and supportive and pupils are welcome before, during and after school to clarify points of uncertainty and to discuss current issues.