Science

Science in Your World: 

The Science department of Miltoncross Academy hopes to instil within our students a well-rounded understanding of themselves and the world around them through biology chemistry and physics. In Chemistry students should understand how atoms form every substance around us and how these substances interact in chemical reactions. Biology should allow student to understand how cells function, how cells work together to form organisms and how organisms work together to form ecosystems. Physics will allow students to understand how energy flows through our universe to maintain key processes and how forces interact in the world around us.  

We hope to bring out the inquisitive nature of learners, by giving them the skills to be able to question the world surrounding them and find explanations. Students will gain skills in data and evidence analysis allowing them to look at key information and news to make up their own minds and identify fake news stories or misinformation. We also provide the necessary problem solving skills for the students to progress though their future careers and the rest of their lives.  

In science we empower students to find the answers to questions rather than relying on someone to just tell them. This encourages students to explore and discover the world around them on their own terms whether than be the local area of Portsmouth or the wider world. We regularly explore topics and scientists from all over the world showing how different cultures and countries have contributed to science. This is emphasised best in our studies of the natural world which looks at everything from local ecosystems to those found at the poles or on the equator. This thought process also helps students to maintain and understand their own health through this scientific mind-set and knowledge about the human body and disease

In science we promote the use of reading skills by analysing evidence and information so students can form their own opinions and ideas. We also promote key skills related to learning new words which makes up a majority of scientific language. This is by breaking down large technical language into its shorter root words to establish what they mean. 

Science utilises a spiral curriculum from year 7 to year 11. This allows us to focus on key themes and topics within Biology, Chemistry and Physics multiple times over the course of years building on previous learning each time. Key ideas such as energy in Physics, cells in biology and atoms in chemistry are taught with increasing depth and links every year. We back this up by interleaving topics and assessments to promote students to retain knowledge over a significant amount of time.