As a result of continued excellent standards throughout the school, King Edward VI Handsworth School obtained a 2nd specialism in Science in April 2009. The additional funding we receive is being used fund enrichment activities and enhance the ICT facilities throughout the department and school.

We aim to develop inquisitive girls who are scientifically literate and who want to know why things happen and appreciate the incredible range of processes that result in them being able to grow plants or fly in a plane.

The Science block consists of 9 well equipped laboratories and a classroom. These are all maintained by our experienced team of 3 technicians. There is also a well used independent study area in the entrance foyer.

Behind the Science Block a specially built area of raised beds is used by the allotment club to grow a wide variety of vegetables. Girls learn a range of skills from team work and how to push wheel barrows efficiently to germinating seeds and spotting weeds from crops.

Years 7 and 8

Years 7 and 8 are taught in forms by one or two teachers. In September 2009 years 7 and 8 started the new UPD8 WIKID science course. This has been written in conjunction with the Association for Science Education to meet the following needs:

• Make all science relevant and contemporary. 
• Produce students confident with How Science Works skills 
• Raise students' achievement and understanding 

 Each teaching sequence (of around 5 lessons) is based around 7 stages;

• Engage; students raise the essential question
• Elicit; we find out what pupils already know and reveal any preconceptions
• Explore; pupils do activities to develop their ideas and concepts
• Explain; the teacher has input to formalize the concept, pupils practice using the concept
• Elaborate; the pupils understanding is deepened and applied to similar contexts
• Extend; the concept is applied to unfamiliar concepts 
• Evaluate; this happens throughout the other 6 stages and encompasses formative assessment to guide further learning

Pupils are continually assessed throughout the unit and sit an end of unit test.

The year 7 topics studied are: 

• Forensics
• Cook!
• Exinction
• Electromancer
• A & E
• Alien

 The year 8 topics studied are:  

• NVIZ
• Species at War
• Studio Magic
• Pyrotechnics
• Catastrophe
• Live & Kicking

Year 9

Year 9 science groups are smaller than in years 7 and 8, each pair of forms is split into 3 teaching groups and taught by 3 subject specialist teachers. In year 9 the girls cover a range of topics designed to enhanced their skills in preparation for starting their GCSE course at the start of the Spring term. All girls cover content common to both of the possible GCSE Science option routes.

GCSE

All girls study AQA triple science; pupils receive a GCSE grade in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. 

For further information please look at the Key Stage 3 Science Curriculum Booklet here.