by Laura Read, Head of Faculty, Science
At OLA, we consider providing pupils and OLA 6th students with opportunities to engage with STEM outside the classroom as being of the utmost importance. By working with companies such as Williams F1, Mission Discovery and Revvity to deliver exciting career’s workshops, we allow pupils to explore the possibility that a profession in the sciences might be for them.
By engaging with a wide variety of national and international competitions linked to STEM we give pupils a chance to learn science beyond the curriculum and apply their ideas to real world issues. This has included hosting the IET Faraday challenge, entering teams into the National Space Design Competition, the Ultimate STEM Fashion fixers sustainability challenge, Our Echo Biodiversity challenge and Royal Academy of Engineering Challenge to name a few.
We also look to provide a deeper understanding of science linked to the curriculum, running trips to Science Live for GCSE and Particle Physics Masterclass for KS5. Last, but certainly not least, we look to engage pupils with STEM outside of lessons within school on a regular basis. This includes poetry of science competitions, poster competitions to celebrate International Women and Girls in STEM Day, scavenger hunt for Rare disease day, decoding challenge for Ada Lovelace Day and a full week of events centred around British Science Week.
All in all, we do our utmost to give pupils and students every opportunity to engage, enrich their experience and ignite a lifelong passion for these subjects.
Overview of the Science curriculum at OLA
Science offers pupils the ability to access a wealth of knowledge and information which will contribute to an overall understanding of the world we live in. Science is able to explain the mechanics and reasons behind the daily functioning of complex systems, which range from the human body to the sophisticated modern understanding of our universe. Knowledge and understanding of science enables pupils to make well informed decisions and pursue new interests. Science also provides tactile and visible proof of many facts we read about in books or see on television. Many find science extremely inspiring and we aim to instil a sense of awe and wonder of the extraordinary world we live in. Science is part of the core curriculum followed by all pupils in Years 7 to 11 and Biology, Chemistry and Physics are optional subjects in the Sixth Form. At OLA most students choose at least one science subject at A-Level. We have excellent, well equipped laboratories with specialist teachers in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. All students engage in regular practical work and are given an appropriate textbook for classwork and homework. Read more …