The intention of the curriculum at Willow Park is to ensure all students are provided with the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. 

We aim to provide a stimulating curriculum with a hierarchical, spiral progression of knowledge that revisits key concepts with increasing complexity throughout KS2, 3 and 4. We aim to nurture pupils’ natural curiosity and independence while explicitly teaching useful practical scientific skills. 

Our bespoke Key Stage 3 curriculum is designed to ensure all students can access science in a way that is meaningful to them. With clear links to the world outside, and to future careers, students see science not just as a subject but as a way to understand their world. 

It is our aim within the teaching of Science at Willow to:

• Provide the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. 
• Teach progressive skills and knowledge from EYFS to Year 11 that are well sequenced.
• Teach the essential summative and disciplinary knowledge required for any future scientist.
• Have all pupils leave Willow Park with an appropriate science accreditation.
• Develop science-specific language, so children can communicate their ideas effectively.

For details of how we achieve our aims and how we know if we have achieved our aims, read the Subject on a Page document below.

Qualifications
Entry Level Certificate 

At KS4 we offer both Double and Single award Entry Level Certificates in Science. These courses act as a bridge between Key Stage 3 learning and GCSE level learning. 

This course is offered to those students who have struggled to access Key Stage 3 learning as a foundation to step up to GCSE. 

Some students following this route will have the opportunity to gain both the Entry Level Certificate and a single GCSE in Biology in year 11. 

GCSE 

Biology is taught as a single GCSE over one or two years and is offered to students in both year 10 and in year 11 as a follow-on course or alternative to Entry Level Certificate. 

The course content is split into 7 units, during which students will be assessed with an end of topic assessment based on past exam papers and complete at least one mock examination. 

For those pupils who we feel are ready and able to access the Biology GCSE we will aim to provide 3 science lessons a week to ensure they have access to enough curriculum time to cover the course content. At the end of the year they will sit two exams to gain their GCSE qualification.  

Qualifications currently on offer include:
AQA Entry Level Certificate in Science 
AQA GCSE Biology