At Oakfield Academy our Science curriculum provides pupils with a broad and balanced understanding of the three main disciplines of Science. We give our pupils sufficient Scientific knowledge to enable them all to make informed decisions and reasoned choices, as well as developing skills that can be used throughout their lives to better understand the world, we live in and the changes that continuously happen within it.

We firmly believe all pupils deserve an aspirational Science curriculum, which ignites their curiosity and creative ideas while encouraging a spirit of independent inquiry. We nurture a growth mindset culture, discussing relevant up to date Science issues and allowing them all the expand their education to their fullest.

Our curriculum is diverse and assessable by all pupils. It provides a better understanding of the uses and implementation of Science past, present and future, leaving the pupils the ability to apply the skills learnt to the world around us.

Head of Science: Mr M George

Science Teachers: 

Mrs H Curtis, Mr C Shaddick, Mrs R Gardner, Mr N Ward, Miss M Pike, Mr D Coleman and Mr O Mepham

Science Technician: Mrs C Hughes

Aims:

  • To enjoy Science.
  • Promoting that it is fine to get things wrong as long as we do this safely and learn from our mistakes.
  • Understanding of key concepts to help solve problems in unfamiliar situations.
  • Using scientific skills to solve problems in a disciplined way.
  • Appreciating the contribution Science makes to society and realise that applying Science can lead to moral and ethical issues having to be addressed.

Most Key Stage 2 and all Key Stage 3 children are taught Science in Science labs, as timetabling allows.

The skills of Science are taught during each topic. Our students learn how to be scientists by developing skills in predicting, planning investigations, measuring, observing, recording results, displaying results, analysing results and evaluating the success of their investigations.

The Science Department has strong links with Frome College. We are continuously adapting and improving our schemes of learning to ensure that our students continue to have an excellent grounding in Science concepts and skills.

Implementation:

  • Quality first teaching strategies and cognitive load theory are used when planning and teaching lessons.
  • Our curriculum across each year builds on the skills from previous years, allowing pupils to retrieve information, thus developing schema, and to develop more sophistication through more challenge year on year.
  • Cross curricular links are made explicit in teaching to enable pupils to embed skills and knowledge.
  • Resources are kept up to date to ensure that the needs of pupils are always met
  • Subject terminology is shared across the key stages and used regularly to develop skills and understanding; pupils are encouraged to use it in their learning.
  • All staff are offered the opportunity to complete regular training to ensure that they are confident in teaching science.
  • All staff promote a love for science in the way that they teach and showing how it applies to the world around us.
  • Displays are regularly updated and pupils encouraged to use them to aid their learning.
  • Growth mindset strategies are used to develop pupils resilience and confidence in science; Good work is regularly celebrated within school using several ways, such as displaying it in school, achievement points and contacting home.
  • A wide range of intervention strategies are implemented from the start of the academic year to support pupils not meeting age expectations or not making expected progress; interventions are reviewed to monitor their effectiveness.
  • Analysis of available data is used to aid future planning and to identify misconceptions across classes and year groups.

Impact:

At Oakfield academy, our pupils:

  • Feel safe in taking risks with their learning and feel confident in answering questions, justifying their responses and forming opinions based upon their experiences.
  • Can use their writing skills and knowledge to write for a range of genres, purposes, text types and audiences.
  • Have a curiosity that engages them in their learning of new experiences, texts and contexts and are able to develop as independent learners.
  • Use their skills and knowledge to apply them to new concepts and contexts.
  • Analyse a range of texts using a range of reading skills and strategies.
  • The majority of pupils meet or exceed age expectations.
  • Have developed many skills required for them to successful in the next stage of their education and beyond.

 

Science Documents

Bunsen Burners

Bath Astronomers

On Tuesday 5th March Bath Astronomers paid their third visit to Oakfield Academy for a evening of stargazing for 40 lucky Y6&7 students and families. The skies were gloriously clear and afforded us a magnificent view of Jupiter, the M52 Orion Nebula & the Pleiades star cluster. Students also enjoyed a show in the planetarium, explored the effect of mass on the orbit of planets (marbles) using the gravity well & launched paper rockets high into the air (including several landings on the school roof) using the rocket launcher. We also saw some magnificent astrophotography taken by Roger, one of the volunteers. 

Thank you so much to Simon and Roger for their time, Mr George, Mrs Stickley, Mr Hockley and Miss Wilkes for helping run the evening smoothly. 

Star Gazing

IET Faraday Engineering Challenge Day

On Friday 2nd February Oakfield Academy hosted the IET Faraday Engineering Challenge Day. 12 Y8 students competed in 2 teams alongside 2 teams each from Selwood Academy and Avanti Park. The challenge was to design and build a working prototype on the theme of improving and making transportation safer. Our teams displayed great teamwork, ambition, creativity and pride in their designs and presentations. They did all this all while managing a budget to buy supplies from the shop and writing a report. Unfortunately for Oakfield they were pipped to the post by a very strong and, all agreed, a very deserving team from Avanti. Maybe next year.

Well done to our engineers:

Team 1: Leader Frank R-R, Accountant Sam L, Martha R, Milly H, Isaac H-F, Noah H-G

Team 2: Leader Sam R-R, Accountant Ben L-S, Cade K, Holly P, Hannah P, Nancy W

Special thanks to Mrs Milkins for her support in the running of the day and letting us use the library.

IET Faraday Engineering Challenge Day.

Stem Links and Careers in Farming

On Thursday as party of Enrichment, Y5&6 had an assembly from local Somerset Apple and Sheep farmer Niel Macdonald on addressing misconceptions, STEM links and Careers in farming. The visit was arranged in co-ordination with the NFU as part of their schools' outreach program. 1 brilliant question from each tutor group was fielded and further questions sent via email. Lot of positive etiquette and engagement was shown by the students, well done. 

Farming

 

Spotlight on Science Nov 23

To conclude the Cells topics 7R,N&S were challenged over half term to create a 3D model of an animal or a plant cell. I was amazed by how many brilliant and scientifically accurate models were created- so much pride and creativity were shown. A particular well done to the following pupils who received head teachers awards from Miss Wilkes for their model.

Dylan MacDonald- for his mind blowing spherical & detailed cake model

Jessica Lauder-Shortman- Labelled plant cell using cake icing.

Farah Merhin- Ceramic clay model. Romilly Squirrel-Bowman- Well presented Red Blood cell & interesting facts.

Lily Sherborne- Multimedia 3D Painting. Dylan Bell- 3D Printed cell model which took 50 hours to print!

Good effort as well from: Kiara Collett, Sophie Coles, Genny Conway, Oleander Diniz Sanches, and Rocco Mitchell.

Keep on pushing your self in Science! 6S were also set a super challenge over half term to draw out a classification tree sorting 42 different organisms using Yes/No questions including species from the Mammalia, Bacteria, Protists, Cnidarians, Echinoderms and Annelids classes. Up to 42 achievement points were up for offer due to sheer amount of time and effort required for this challenge (it took Mr Shaddick 4 hours to do himself!) and 5 of the form absolutely smashed the challenge (and the time putting Mr Shaddick to shame).

Very well done to Mila Peet, Sofia Peet, Tyler Amphlett, April King and Charlie Tolcher-Jones all in 6S for this stellar effort, with a special mention to Zac Sherborne for his attempt as well. Keep on impressing!

Y7 R, N & S Cells Topics

Visit to Hinkley Point

On Wednesday, Year 8 went on a trip to Hinkley Point. We had lots of fun and we learned a lot about electricity production using nuclear power. We were first taken to the Cannington Court, where we explored the visitors centre. In the visitors centre we explored the South West energy demand with interactive tables, looked at 3D models of Hinkley & the reactor core, and tried on PPE used for work on the site. Then we had an informative talk about how nuclear energy works and the alternative methods of meeting the UK energy
demand, and we prepared for our tour with a safety and security briefing (no phones allowed, so sadly no photos of the site). We also learnt about the careers of nuclear Physicists, Chemists and Biologists. Finally we had an amazing tour on a coach of the Hinkley Point C construction site - we learned about what different hard hats mean, all about the different buildings and the forest of cranes, how they pump seawater to cool the
reactor core, and how many sausages they make per year in the canteens (750,000!). We also learned about life working there as there are over 25,000 jobs at the moment and 900 jobs in the future. We also saw “Big Carl” which is the world's largest crane, 250 m high which has been used to place the reactor core and turbines in place and will be used to place the massive roof on top.

Hinkley point Sept 2023

Our Science

Careers documents - Chemistry

Careers documents - Biology

Careers documents - Physics