Our Science Department has a high reputation both within and outside College. All our pupils take the three sciences to GCSE, many continue to A Level and then follow university courses in the physical, chemical and biological sciences, medicine and engineering. In the past five years, the sciences have accounted for more than half of College’s offers to Oxford and Cambridge, with these pupils winning many prizes in various competitions such as the Chemistry and Physics Olympiads.
The Science Department is housed in a single-storey building comprising 14 laboratories, three prep rooms, a Library and a workshop. Practical work is central to our teaching and our resources are first-rate. One laboratory and the library have just been refurbished and the whole department will be updated in the near future.
In their first three years, pupils study Biology, Chemistry and Physics separately and are taught by subject specialists. Most of our pupils study for the International GCSE (IGCSE) exam because we feel it is more stretching than the national GCSE courses on offer and is a much better preparation for A Level studies. From 2011, those that find science particularly challenging will take a less academic GCSE course 'Science in Context'. Of those that follow the IGCSE route, one top set will take the Triple Award Science whilst the remainder take the Double Award.
Uptake of A Level sciences is strong – pupils speak of their enjoyment of lessons and of the stimulation they bring. Whilst making sure our pupils achieve good exam results, we are passionate in believing that our teaching and their learning should go beyond the confines of exam specifications. We have regular 'science evenings' for each year group when they are invited to come and find out about latest developments in science, or about topics that do not form part of their course. We also have regular science excursions: The Biology department run annual field trips to Cornwall and to Dorset. Our chemists have forged useful links with the University of Bristol Chemistry department that they visit regularly, and our physicists will soon be visiting the Diamond Synchrotron at Harwell and the Joint European Torus (fusion reactor) at Culham.
We are proud of the diversity of our pupils – those who join us in the Lower Sixth thrive alongside our ‘home grown’ scientists and we welcome the stimulus they bring. Girls thrive alongside the boys and the warm and respectful relationships that exist between pupils, staff and technicians form the bedrock of all we do.
Tom Adams, Head of Science