Science
We believe passionately at Tring school that our students need the best education that we can provide. With government changes and increased rigor we have devised schemes of work at all key stages that not only go through content but develop skills necessary for our students to reach their full potential as well as try to inspire them to move into Science careers.
Science is all about finding things out and we have developed our curriculum to improve students curiosity, independence, determination and resilience. Many scientific discoveries only happened because there were many failed attempts; we try and give our students the opportunities needed to recognise the importance of these skills not only in the classroom but also with our Science workshops.
Click here to enter the Science Department Virtual Learning Environment
Key Stage 3
All KS3 lessons follows the National Curriculum. All our lessons have been written by our teachers to support the learning of our students at Tring School. We have an emphasis on students finding things out for themselves as any good scientist would do.
We have almost a whole term when they join us in Year 7 devoted to ‘being a scientist’ with students learning the skills necessary to support them in their Science lessons. This includes understanding all of the safety procedures and how to recognise, name and draw scientific apparatus as well as planning and carrying out their own investigations. This is a theme that carries on throughout our KS3 curriculum. Students will be taught in mixed ability groups up until Easter of Year 9 and then students will be tiered into Triple or Combined Science groups for GCSE. We test students every term and all students will practice test questions with every topic they study.
We offer science workshops for Year 7, 8 & 9. These happen every half term around different themes focusing on practical experiments.
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Skills | Muscles & Skeleton | Genetics & Evolution |
| Reproduction | Motion & Forces | Chemical Reactions |
| Cells | Waves | Photosynthesis |
| Electricity | Nutrition & Digestion | Space |
| Atoms | Respiration | Pure & Impure Substances |
| Periodic Table | ||
| Geology | ||
| Environmental Science |
Key Stage 4 - GCSE
We study two Science GCSEs. Triple Science; three separate sciences, as an option, for our more academically able students and Trilogy Science for the remainder of the students. The Triple students will be selected in year 9 and will have to opt to study Triple Science. We study AQA specification for all the Science subjects at KS4. All students will start their GCSE Science pathway at the end of year 9 (final half term). Students are grouped according to their science pathway.
The Trilogy and Triple Science pathways have two exams for each subject, the Synergy pathway has 4 exams over all which are mixed subjects. Triple Science and Synergy exam papers are 1 hr 45 mins and Trilogy Combined Science exams are 1hr 15 mins each.
We offer science workshops for our year 10 students which run half termly, we complete investigations, fun science and trips.
| BIOLOGY / Trilogy | CHEMISTRY / Trilogy | PHYSICS / Trilogy | Synergy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cells | Structures, Bonding & Properties | Waves | Building Blocks - Teacher A |
| Organisation | Quantitative | Nuclear & Space | Transport Over Larger Distances - Teacher A |
| Infection & Response | Chemical Changes | Electricity | Interactions With The Environment - Teacher A |
| Bioenergetics | Rates & Energy | Forces | Explaining Change - Teacher A |
| Homeostasis | Organic Chemistry | Energy | Building Blocks For Understanding - Teacher B |
| Response | Chemical Analysis | Magnets & Electromagnets | Interactions Over Small & Large Distances - Teacher B |
| Inheritance | Particle Model | Movement & Interactions - Teacher B | |
| Variation & Evolution | Guiding Spaceship Earth Towards A Sustainable Future - Teacher B | ||
| Ecology |
Please click on the links below for GCSE subject information from AQA.
Combined Science Trilogy (8464)
Enrichment & Extra-Curricular
Year 7, 8 & 9 Science Workshops
These clubs are run by the Science Department once or twice per term after school. Letters are sent out inviting students to attend these workshops throughout the year.
Year 7, 8 & 9 Science Workshops
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fair run biannually.
Year 8
Each year 5 Year 8 students get chosen to take over Tring museum for the day. These students are selected randomly from those who attend Science Club.
Year 9
Each year we visit the Big Bang event in Birmingham NEC and take a number of Year 9 students.
Year 10
We offer science workshops for our year 10 students which run half termly, we complete investigations, fun science and trips. We also focus these events around future careers.
Science Department
| Subject Leader | Mrs J Pennington-Wright |
| Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator | Mrs K Ross |
| Key Stage 4 Co-ordinator | Mrs L Sanday |
| Key Stage 5 Co-ordinator | Dr K Irlam |
| Mrs K Brett | |
| Ms L Casson | |
| Mrs N Everitt | |
| Miss A McLeod | |
| Mrs R Monks | |
| Mrs A Newton | |
| Mrs B Povey | |
| Mrs M Salaga | |
| Mrs J Steer | |
| Mrs S Tunstall | |
| Miss A Waddicor | |
| Mr S Wright |