Teaching Staff

Curriculum Intent

At the Academy of St Francis of Assisi we strive to instil a sense of awe and wonder at the incredible world around us. To create students who become life-long learners, with the courage and tenacity to ask big questions, take calculated risks and critically evaluate the evidence before them.  Our spiral curriculum is designed to deliver substantive and disciplinary knowledge concurrently and students to think, speak and work like scientists and allows core principles to be revisited repeatedly in different contexts and with increasing complexity as they journey through Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.  These golden threads link prior, present and future learning and help to demonstrate explicit connections within and between the three science disciplines, as well as other curriculum areas.

Rosalind Franklin says, ‘Science & everyday life cannot and should not be separated’ and so students are encouraged to think altruistically about issues of finite resources and environmental concerns and encourage students to use our Christian values of respect, pride, and ambition to consider how their everyday choices may impact future generations.

The curriculum capitalises on opportunities to evidence the role of collaboration and peer review in furthering scientific developments and understanding by providing ample opportunities for experimental learning and teamwork through investigations and practical work.

We ensure that there is an equality of access to the Science curriculum for all learners. All students experience the same core curriculum, underpinned by the demands of the National Curriculum, and our subjects are taught with enthusiasm and passion by subject specialists. For students with additional needs, we ensure that approaches to learning are thoughtfully considered with appropriate support where necessary. No student is limited in their ability to succeed, and students across the spectrum of ability have an opportunity to study separate Sciences in detail.