The separate disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics are taught in Upper 3 and Lower 4 (Years 7 and 8). Girls progress on to GCSEs in Sciences from Upper 4 to Upper 5 (Years 9 – 11). Pupils are given the choice of following the AQA Separate Science GCSE route, which culminates in separate GCSEs in each science, or the AQA Combined Science Trilogy route, which culminates in two science GCSEs.
In the Science Department we encourage pupils to participate in a broad range of extra-curricular activities to develop their inquiring and analytical minds. The clubs and activities which we offer are shown in the list. In addition to these activities, we regularly deliver STEM outreach days and host guest speakers. For example, we have delivered two Year 10 ‘Girls into STEM’days, each involving around one hundred Year 10 girls, and recently we have been awed by lectures from Helen Sharman and Tim Harrison.
Extra-curricular activities for Key Stages 3 and 4 (Years 7 – 11)
- STEM club
- Lego robotics club
- Salters’ Festival of Chemistry competition
- Top of the Bench Chemistry competition
- Science in the news poster competition
- Inspirational female scientist competition
- YSTEMM award scheme
- Lower 4 Chemistry Club
GCSE
All Maynard pupils embark on AQA Science GCSEs in Upper 4 and study Biology, Chemistry and Physics separately over a 3-year period (Upper 4/ Lower 5/Upper 5). Students may study the Combined Science GCSE route or may choose Separate Sciences as one of their GCSE options. These are both exciting and challenging courses designed to make Science relevant to everyday life, whilst also offering academic rigour.
