Science
Physics, Biology and Chemistry are popular and successful subjects at Furze Platt. The Department aims to provide a supportive, stimulating, dynamic and academically challenging experience for all students. Over recent years, the Department has gone from strength to strength, and standards and students’ results are high.
Enrichment Activities
The Department offers a range of enrichment activities.
There is a weekly KS3 Science club, a weekly GreenPower club and termly talks by invited speakers for students in KS4 and KS5. We also regularly enter students into competitions such as 'Science University Challenge' for Year 9 run by Reading University, and the national science 'Olympiads' for our Sixth Formers.
Students are involved in science experiences such as the Smallpeice Trust courses and Salter’s Chemistry camps. There are also strong links with a variety of Universities where students attend courses and are invited to lectures.
Staff and Accommodation
The curriculum is staffed by 12 specialist Science teachers, each with their own laboratories, within each laboratory we interactive whiteboards and access to a range of scientific equipment. The teaching team is supported by dedicated science teaching assistants and six science technicians, with a range of state of the art equipment available for all year groups to access.
GCSE Textbooks and Revision Guides
If parents wish to purchase books to help with their child's studying, here is a recommended list:
| NEWAQA GCSE Science 9-1 | ||
| ISBN Number | Price | |
| Biology | ||
| Biology Separate Science Revision Guide | 9780198359401 | £4.50 |
| Biology Separate Science Higher workbook | 9780198421672 | £4.00 |
| Combined Biology Trilogy Revision Guide | 9780198359302 | £4.50 |
| Combined Biology Trilogy Found. workbook | 9780198359340 | £3.00 |
| Combined Biology Trilogy Higher workbook | 9780198374831 | £4.00 |
| Chemistry | ||
| Chemistry Separate Science Revision Guide | 9780198359418 | £4.50 |
| Chemistry Separate Science Higher workbook | 9780198421689 | £4.00 |
| Combined Chemistry : Trilogy Revision Guide | 9780198359319 | £4.50 |
| Combined Chemistry: Trilogy Found. workbook | 9780198359357 | £3.00 |
| Combined Chemistry: Trilogy Higher workbook | 9780198374848 | £4.00 |
| Physics | ||
| Physics Separate Science Revision Guide | 9780198359425 | £4.50 |
| Physics Separate Science Higher workbook | 9780198421696 | £4.00 |
| Combined Physics : Trilogy Revision Guide | 9780198359326 | £4.50 |
| Combined Physics : Trilogy Found. workbook | 9780198359364 | £3.00 |
| Combined Physics: Trilogy Higher workbook | 9780198374855 | £4.00 |
Below are the ISBN numbers for the Science GCSE textbooks, which can be bought from Amazon at £18.99:
Chemistry ISBN 9780198359388
Biology ISBN 9780198359265
Physics ISBN 9780198359289
Curriculum
Key Stage 3: Students follow the National Curriculum. Key Stage 3 Science is covered in six lessons a fortnight over two years and therefore is completed at the end of Year 8. The curriculum aims to be challenging and thought-provoking, with scientific enquiry at its core.
Year 9 students have already started their Core GCSE Science course which now runs over 3 years. At the end of Year 8, students now need to express a preference for either Separate Sciences (3 GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics) or Combined Science (2 GCSEs).
Key Stage 4: ALL students have 8 hours of Science teaching in Year 9. In Years 10 and 11, the numbers of hours depends on whether they are doing Separate Sciences (12 hours) or Combined Science (9 hours).
Key Stage 5: Science uptake in the Sixth Form is extremely high, with three groups for Biology (AQA), two for Chemistry (OCR) and two for Physics (AQA) in each of Years 12 and 13.
Overall standards are high. Students regularly progress to study science and engineering at university, including at Russell Group universities and Oxbridge.