Science | The Westleigh School

Intent

‘To be curious about the world around us, to learn through scientific discovery, and to be the scientists and innovators of the future.’

Our science curriculum is ambitious, knowledge-rich and coherently sequenced, ensuring all pupils develop secure understanding of biology, chemistry and physics.

Pupils

Develop substantive and disciplinary knowledge over time
Build scientific thinking and practical skills
Retain knowledge through systematic retrieval practice
Apply, analyse and evaluate ideas in familiar and unfamiliar contexts

Knowledge is carefully sequenced and revisited to strengthen long-term retention. The curriculum is inclusive by design, with all pupils accessing the same ambitious content, preparing them for GCSE and future STEM pathways.

Implementation

Curriculum Structure

At KS3, pupils follow the ARK Mastery curriculum, providing a secure, sequenced foundation:

3 × 60-minute lessons per week
Pre-tests and end-of-unit mastery quizzes
Weekly Sparx Science homework to consolidate learning

In Year 9, pupils complete the KS3 spiral curriculum and transition to the linear AQA GCSE Scheme, enabling greater depth of study and preparing them for the demands of KS4.

At KS4:

Combined Science: 5 × 60-minute lessons per week taught by one science specialist
Triple Science: 8 × 60-minute lessons per week taught by three subject specialists

The science curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure pupils build secure substantive and disciplinary knowledge over time. Key concepts are revisited throughout Key Stages 3 and 4 through planned retrieval practice, interleaved assessment and homework. Socrative/Do Now recall quizzes and Sparx Follow-Up 5 tasks provide spaced retrieval of previously taught content, helping pupils strengthen long-term memory and make connections between topics. In Year 9, pupils transition from the ARK Mastery curriculum to the AQA KS4 specification. Retrieval and interleaving continue throughout this transition to ensure knowledge from biology, chemistry and physics remains secure as pupils begin GCSE study.

Teaching Approach

KS3 (ARK Mastery)

Do Now: retrieval practice
Structured activities to embed understanding
Exit ticket to check learning
Scientist in the Spotlight to link to careers
Weekly Sparx homework

KS4 (AQA)

Socrative recall quizzes
Weekly Sparx homework + Follow-Up 5
Booklets include:
Must-Know knowledge
Prior/next learning links Big 5 Science skills
Key vocabulary + Frayer models
Reading to develop disciplinary literacy
Linked careers
Regular exam-style questions

Adaptive Teaching

All pupils access the full curriculum, supported through:

Scaffolding without lowering challenge
Explicit vocabulary teaching
Targeted questioning
Challenge through depth

Wider Implementation

Digital booklets on iPads ensure consistency
Practical work is recorded and evaluated digitally

Working scientifically is explicitly taught through a consistent approach to practical work, ensuring students can observe, measure, analyse, present and evaluate data across all sciences

Impact

Pupils know more, remember more and can apply their knowledge effectively:

Secure, long-term scientific knowledge
Strong performance in exam-style questions
Accurate use of scientific vocabulary
Confident practical and analytical skills

Assessment is used formatively and summatively to identify gaps and inform responsive teaching, including targeted retrieval, live reteaching and adaptation within lessons. All pupils study a broad, ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. Through consistent routines, retrieval and adaptive teaching, pupils successfully learn, retain and apply scientific knowledge over time.