1) Question: I like the idea of a science school, leading in Science, but I don’t want my daughter to do these subjects all the time, does she have to study these subjects more than other schools?
Answer: She won’t do anymore Science than any other school, but she will have opportunities to do science activities outside the classroom and listen to visiting speakers and be taught the subject in high standard accommodation in smaller classes, by teachers who are constantly looking to improve the delivery of their subject, in all aspects. She will be encouraged to study the subjects at Post-16 and onto University. There is already a good uptake in the subjects but it is hoped to increase it.
2) Question: If Science is the leading department, does that mean that the other departments will suffer?
Answer: No, the other subjects will have their part to play in the specialism but it will not detract from the success the other subjects enjoy school. All the subjects at St Mary’s have always looked to enhance the curriculum with visits and trips and special days. With specialist science status there are many opportunities to link into Science to do cross- curricular projects with funding and administrative support. An example of this was the Smallpeice Engineering Trip for Year 10 pupils held in 2007:
3) Question: My daughter really enjoys the Arts such as Music and Drama, will the science specialism mean her options at Year 10 will be restricted?
Answer: No, at the option stage in Y10 your daughter will still get a wide choice as before. She will have to study Science at GCSE like all students in the country but in fact she may well get a bigger range of science subject choices than before the Specialist Science status was awarded.
4) Question: If I visit the school, will it be obvious that it is a science school, leading in Science and how will I know?
Answer: Yes, you would notice a large number of interactive whiteboards in classrooms throughout the school. There are smaller numbers of students in the science classes, compared to non-specialist schools. All the pupils wear a badge on their uniform that acknowledges that they attend a specialist science school. There are also a lot of photographic and other visual displays throughout the school celebrating the success of our pupils and our work with our Partner Schools.
5) Question: I have a child, in Year 7, at one of the main link primary schools, will they notice a difference?
Answer: Yes they will as the science department has linked with the main primary schools and lending a hand with teaching the subjects. Primary teachers have to be experts in so many subjects it is impossible to cover them all in the limited time available. The St Mary’s link teacher will offer advice on planning and bridging the gap between Year 7 and Year 8. They can also provide equipment which the primary schools may not have, such as class sets of laptops or microscopes. The commitment is such that the St Mary’s teacher is freed from his timetable to dedicate time to the primary schools. At the same time it will be an opportunity for our teachers to learn skills and methods which are used in the subjects in Year 7, so the transition to secondary school can be made easier.
6) Question: I would like to help my daughter at Science but I don’t know where to start, what can I do?
Answer: The best way to help your daughter is to show an interest in what they have done at school; discussing the day, taking time to look at their planner and ensuring that they have done their homework. We are not all experts in all the subjects, of course, so we will be offering some practical help as the year goes by. The Science department also holds some science evenings throughout the year for parents and pupils, where, amongst other things, they will have a chance to build a working hovercraft, attend a murder mystery and suspense theme, and in terms of ICT learn new computer skills to gain an external qualification.
|
