Teacher of Chemistry

The Science Department excels at engaging students by enabling them to relate their knowledge to areas which are topical and directly affect them, such as the effect of human activities on biodiversity and the physical world, the role of vaccinations, the ethical dilemmas involved in embryo screening and organ donations, as well as the search for life across the universe. Studying Science encourages students to develop new skills, such as problem solving, making ethical decisions and evaluating data. It also gives an insight into new technologies which may completely change how we live in the future, such as gene editing and artificial intelligence.

At Presdales, we follow the AQA specifications for separate Sciences and Combined Science Trilogy at GCSE. This provides a smooth progression from GCSE to A level and ensures that the skills and knowledge that universities require are achieved. At A level, Biology and Physics follow the AQA syllabus and Chemistry OCR.

The Science department runs a weekly Medsoc, where Year 12 and 13 potential medics can further extend their knowledge and skills, such as performing extra-curricular dissections, discussing science in the news and improving their presentation skills. Students are also encouraged to attend science lectures and enter the annual Biology/Chemistry/Physics Olympiad and enter essay-writing competitions to give further breadth to their A level studies. We have a large number of alumni who return to Presdales to give advice and support to Year 12/13 students when completing their university applications. We also run a number of STEAM activities across all years including several robotics teams, the industrial cadets in conjunction with GSK, the CREST award and numerous activities with other engineering companies and the armed forces across the year.