For every student to discover and explore the world of science through the focused lenses of biology, chemistry and physics.
At Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy, science plays a central role in helping our students explore and understand the world around them. Through a carefully designed curriculum that spans biology, chemistry and physics, we aim to build not just knowledge, but curiosity, confidence and critical thinking.
From the start of Year 7, students begin to develop practical and investigative skills alongside core scientific knowledge. For example, they might learn how to safely use lab equipment, plan a simple experiment, or interpret results using graphs. As they move through school, these skills become more advanced – allowing students to carry out independent investigations, apply maths in scientific contexts, and evaluate evidence thoughtfully. This progression is carefully planned across the five years to ensure each student builds steadily on what they’ve learned before.
Our curriculum is structured around four key pillars: clear sequencing of knowledge, explicit teaching of scientific vocabulary, regular links to real-world science and careers, and meaningful opportunities for students to apply what they’ve learned. Every unit includes a combination of practical work, reading and discussion, assessment tasks, and opportunities to explore science in everyday life.
Literacy is woven through everything we do. Each topic introduces key scientific terms in a clear and structured way, helping students to use scientific language confidently in writing and discussion. Regular reading and oracy tasks help students to better understand the big ideas in science and explain their thinking clearly.
We regularly check students’ understanding through short quizzes, end-of-topic tests and diagnostic tasks. This helps us make sure that knowledge is secure and that any gaps are identified and addressed quickly.
Over the past year, we’ve made targeted changes to ensure that students are confident in the most important areas of the curriculum. We’ve increased the focus on retrieval practice – helping students to strengthen their memory – and ensured that hands-on practical work remains central to the experience in our science labs.
Our aim is to make science both exciting and meaningful. Whether students go on to study science further or not, we want them to leave OBA with the ability to question, reason, and engage thoughtfully with the world around them