Curriculum Intent

Science at Bourne Community College provides a broad curriculum which challenges students to develop their curiosity, enquiry skills, knowledge and understanding of science in everyday life.

Students are encouraged to articulate scientific concepts clearly and precisely.

Our curriculum delivers an accessible pathway for more advance science based study, providing a gateway into a wide range of career opportunities

Science vision

To empower all students with the skills and scientific knowledge to achieve their best outcome in a supportive and inspiring setting.

Open Evening Flyer

Aims

Within the Science department, we aim to guide the students through the various elements of the Science curriculum to provide a strong foundation of knowledge and skills which is broad and balances across all 3 sciences. This enables the students to pursue their future goals in any direction they choose.

Our curriculum is designed to enrich students’ knowledge and passion for Science through understanding its impact and influence locally, nationally and globally. We use practical investigation and associated activities to engage students to make them excited and engaged about learning Science while also providing high quality teaching.

Whilst we focus and drive success during their time here, we also promote and support independent enquiry skills and the moral and social implications of Science, in order to develop our students holistically.

Learning Journey

Our learning journeys give a visual overview of the curriculum content covered in each subject. They will help you understand how students make progress in different topics over the years they are with us.

Biology Learning Journey

Chemistry Learning Journey

Physics Learning Journey

Key Stage 3 Curriculum Overview

The Activate course is designed to match the new Key Stage 3 programme of study and to help prepare students for success in their GCSEs. It has a flexible route of study with an engaging and contemporary approach to Science. Pupils will be actively involved in lessons incorporating practical’s, maths and literacy along with fun facts, quizzes and questions to engage students. In Year 7 students will study topics such as cells, structure and functions of body systems, reactions, particles and their behaviour, forces and space. In Year 8 students will study topics such as health and lifestyle, ecosystems, the Earth, the periodic table and energy.

	Year 7	Year 8
Biology	Cell Biology Human Biology	Healthy Lifestyle Ecology and Evolution Plant Biology
Chemistry	Particle Model of Matter Chemical Changes Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table	Reactions The Earth and Resources
Physics	Space Sound and Light Forces	Energy Electricity

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Key Stage 4 Curriculum Overview

All students study Science at GCSE. Students will either study the AQA Separate Science course or the AQA Combined Science course.

The separate Science course will provide students with 3 GCSE grades and the Combined Science course will provide students with 2 GCSE grades. The GCSE Science curriculum will provide students with a broad and balanced understanding of all 3 sciences.

Exams for AQA Separate Science:

Each of the Separate GCSE Science Subjects (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) will have the following;

Two papers: each paper will assess different topics.
Duration of each paper: 1 hour 45 minutes.
Tiers: Foundation and Higher.
Weighting: the papers are equally weighted. Each is worth 50% of the grade and has 100 marks available.
Question types: multiple choice, structured, closed short answer and open response.

Exams for AQA Combined Science:

Six papers: 2 for Biology, 2 for Chemistry and 2 for Physics. Each paper will assess different topics.
Duration of paper: 1 Hour 15 minutes
Tiers: Foundation and Higher.
Weighting: the papers are equally weighted. There are 70 marks available.
Question types: multiple choice, structured, closed short answer and open response.

Key Words

We aim to support students in their literacy across all curriculum subjects. We provide key word lists as a teaching and learning tool to support student understanding of the technical vocabulary needed to articulate their learning about a particular subject.

Year 7 Science Key Words

Year 8 Science Key Words

GCSE Biology Key Words

GCSE Chemistry Key Words

GCSE Physics Key Words

Staff

Miss J Church BSc (Hons) – Curriculum Leader of Science (Returns Nov 2025)
Mr N Griggs BSc (Hons) – Assistant Leader in Science (Curriculum lead until Nov 2025)
Mr T Ratcliffe BSc (Hons) – Teacher of Science
Mr A Clarke BSc (Hons) – Teacher of Science
Mr I Salisbury BEng & MSC – Teacher of Science
Mrs J V Walt BSc (Hons) – Teacher of Science
Mrs C Gamble BSc (Hons) – Teacher of Science
Mr D Turner BA (Hons) – Teacher of Science and Pupil Premium Lead
Ms M Perry BA (Hons) – Teacher of Science

Miss H Rogers – Senior Science technician
Mr D Brooks – Science technician

Links to Revision and Additional Study

GCSE Specifications – https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse

https://www.my-gcsescience.com/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7nygk7

https://www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/science/

https://cognitoedu.org/home

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Bourne Community College

Bourne Community CollegeTuesday, July 8th, 2025 at 7:00pm

Bourne Community College Celebrates Diversity Day

Bourne Community College hosted a vibrant Diversity Day, filled with activities celebrating different cultures and communities.

Around the school, stands were set up to showcase various aspects of diversity. Outside the Bourne Student Support Centre, students celebrated the LGBTQ+ community with colourful stands offering cakes, badges, face painting, and positive messages. They provided information to raise awareness and support among their peers.

Another stand celebrated the Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) community. Students distributed badges, sampled traditional recipes, and explored GRT-specific books kindly provided by a member of West Sussex County Council.

Tutor groups joined a fun competition, creating outfits representing different countries. Selected students modelled these outfits in front of a student panel in the precinct, showcasing creativity and cultural pride.

The day concluded with a lively group dance in the precinct, organised by Mrs Acquah and Miss Taylor. Both students and staff enjoyed participating in this energetic activity, highlighting the school’s spirit of unity and celebration.

Diversity Day at Bourne Community College was a resounding success, fostering understanding, inclusion, and joy throughout the school.

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Bourne Community CollegeTuesday, July 8th, 2025 at 9:25am

Bourne Community College Students Win Art Competition

Three talented students from Bourne Community College, Arty B, Charley H, and Nara M, have won the Priors Orchard Art Competition.

The contest invited young artists to design an artwork for a wall at the entrance to a new housing estate in Southbourne. Their winning designs will be laser cut onto metal panels and displayed proudly on the site.

Funded by the local parish council, this project offers an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their creativity in the community. David James, representing the parish council, presented the students with their prizes, congratulating them on their impressive work.

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Bourne Community CollegeFriday, July 4th, 2025 at 7:00pm

Korean Student Teachers Visited Our School

A group of student teachers from Korea visited our school to share their teaching methods and learn about ours. They brought a fresh and exciting approach to the classroom, giving our students a unique cultural experience.

During an English lesson, the Korean teachers introduced an activity where students had to identify different musical instruments using only the sounds they made. The goal was to help students improve their ability to describe what they hear, which is a useful skill for creative writing.

Our students really enjoyed the lesson. They found the interactive activities fun and the lesson structure both enlightening and engaging. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Korean culture and explore new ways of thinking.

The English team,
Bourne Community College

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Bourne Community CollegeWednesday, July 2nd, 2025 at 7:01pm

Exploring the World Through Postcards

Modern foreign language students participated in an exciting project where they created their own postcards. Each student chose a capital city to research and designed a postcard showcasing their findings.

As part of their research, students explored the diversity of cultures, famous landmarks, local foods, unique customs, climate, and interesting historical facts. This helped them gain a deeper understanding of different cultures around the world.

For the front of the postcard, students drew images representing key features of their chosen cities. On the back, they wrote messages as if they were visiting the city, describing the sights, food, people and atmosphere.

Students thoroughly enjoyed this creative activity. Once completed, they presented their postcards to the class, sharing their favourite discoveries. The lesson aimed to broaden students' knowledge and appreciation for different cultures.

Mrs A. Riedmuller
Leader of MFL

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Curriculum Intent

Science vision