Our Curriculum

At Philip Southcote School, Science provides a broad, purposeful and inclusive curriculum that prepares students for adult life. Through hands-on experimentation, questioning and research, students develop curiosity, independence and transferable skills to help them understand and navigate the world around them. Rooted in real-life contexts, our curriculum connects science to everyday experiences, from health and energy to the environment and technology. Practical work is central to our approach, with a strong focus on safety, teamwork and communication.

Designed to meet the needs of learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN), our curriculum is both aspirational and accessible. Scientific knowledge and skills are developed through a clear progression, underpinned by the Solar Steps framework, which enables us to monitor and support individual progress effectively. Topics are carefully sequenced across key stages to revisit and deepen prior learning, supporting long-term retention and mastery. Lessons are adapted with scaffolding, visual supports and targeted interventions to ensure all students engage meaningfully with scientific concepts.

Differentiated pathways, including Entry Level and GCSE, allow every student to achieve recognised qualifications and experience success. Assessment outcomes inform planning and intervention, ensuring sustained progress for all learners. Science is embedded across the wider curriculum and contributes to students’ cultural capital, with opportunities to explore cross-curricular themes and real-world issues. Enrichment experiences, such as those provided through SATRO, expose students to the practical applications of science.

Students follow a purposeful learning journey that builds independence, resilience and the ability to apply their learning to the world around them. Scientific skills are developed progressively and revisited across key stages:

• Identification: Recognising equipment, materials and scientific concepts
• Investigation: Planning and carrying out practical work safely and systematically
• Explanation: Using observations and data to explain scientific processes
• Evaluation: Reflecting on methods, accuracy and reliability of results
• Conclusion: Drawing reasoned conclusions and communicating findings clearly

We assess progress using our Solar Steps framework, which tracks development in:

• Working Scientifically: planning investigations, using equipment safely, recording and analysing data, and drawing conclusions
• Application of Knowledge: describing, explaining, evaluating and applying learning to real life situations across biology, chemistry and physics

Students develop scientific skills through a structured progression:

• Recognising and naming equipment and concepts
• Making predictions and carrying out investigations
• Recording observations and presenting data
• Explaining outcomes and identifying patterns
• Evaluating methods and proposing solutions

Our curriculum ensures balanced coverage of biology, chemistry and physics, including topics such as the human body, ecosystems, energy, forces, materials and scientific processes. These are explored through practical investigations, outdoor learning and structured units that build knowledge and skills over time.

Science at Philip Southcote equips students to become independent, informed and resilient adults ready to question, investigate, reflect and apply their learning as they take their next steps in life.