Saint Augustine’s achieved science Specialist Status in 2006. The extra funding that comes from being a specialist school has allowed us to promote science education at Saint Augustine’s and the community in many exciting and innovative ways. Our aims include:

• raising standards in Science, Maths and across the school as a whole
• innovation of ICT usage throughout the school
• an extensive enrichment programme to raise the profile of science and support learning
• broadening our curriculum opportunities to meet the needs of all learners
• strengthening primary links
• enhancing the learning environment through building and resources

 

 

2. Creating appropriate courses for students

Key stage 3 (Year 9)
In Year 9 students are taught by subject specialists for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Key Stage 4 (Years 10, 11)
The funding from Specialism has allowed us to teach students in smaller groups in all core subjects of English, Maths, Science and Religious Education (averaging 23 students). 

Maths – Statistics

Many of our current Year 11 students successfully completed a GCSE in Statistics as part of their Year 10 course

 

Key stage 5 (Years 12 and 13)
Science at A level is extremely popular and often oversubscribed. We are fortunate to have the staff to be able to offer a large number of places. We have extended our provision to provide an A level in Applied Science, a course that has proven popular with humanities Science students in broadening their curriculum.  More details about the courses on offer can be found from the Science department page.

Further Maths

Students in the past who have wanted to access Further Maths had to travel to South Birmingham once a week.  Specialism has enabled us to teach this highly regarded subject in our new Canterbury suite

 

Ogden Trust

We are in partnership with the Ogden Trust.  Our students are fortunate in being able to access additional much needed sponsorship to enable them to continue with their studies in Maths and Physics at a higher Level.  For more information please see:

www.ogdentrust.com

The Ogden Trust sponsors students of outstanding scientific ability to attend leading British universities. Ogden Trust Science Scholarships are currently open to the following categories of candidate:

• Former Ogden Trust 6th Form Science Scholarship holders and bursary holders
• Ogden Physics Prizewinners from 2009 (includes Maths and Science Prizewinners up to 2008)
• Students nominated by participating Sixth Form Colleges and Universities
• Arkwright Scholarship holders sponsored by The Ogden Trust
• Students nominated by secondary school members of The Association for Science Education

The scholarships are worth £1,500 per annum for up to four years of undergraduate study and are payable in two annual instalments (October and February).

Criteria for candidates:

• Previously educated entirely in the state sector *
• Minimum 340 points at A-level (equivalent A,A,B) in their three principal subjects including grade A in Physics**
• Applying to read for a Physics degree at University
• Joint gross parental income of less than £40k ***
• British nationality

Application forms are obtainable on request from The Student Registrar, registrar@ogdentrust.com or can be downloaded by clicking on 'Forms in PDF' in the right-hand column.
* Unless attending an independent school on an Ogden Trust 6th Form Science Scholarship
** Depending on the number of applications each year, this academic threshold may rise
*** Candidates whose joint parental income is under £50k will be considered if (a) both parents working (b) one or more siblings

N.B. Please note that additional conditions and criteria may be attached to these scholarships by individual universities. Ogden Awards may be held in conjunction with other scholarships and bursaries awarded by Universities, Foundations or organisations like the Institute of Physics, but these must be declared on the application form.

Sci Tech

Our students gain an insight into potential careers in Science and Technology by attending ‘Sci-Tech’, a local one day conference for Year 12 students held by local industrial companies.

Nuffield Bursaries

Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries offer KS5 students the opportunity to take part in a research project for 4-6 weeks during their summer holiday. Students are given £80 per week to take part in a range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) projects in universities, research institutes, companies and more. You will work as part of a team, you’ll take the initiative on projects that really make a difference, write a project report and receive a certificate of achievement (which can lead to a CREST GOLD). You will have the opportunity to share and communicate your experiences more widely through celebration events and scientists’ and engineers’ fairs.

Four students were successful this summer, you can read their case studies here;

Salman zafar
Chris Lawrence (case study attached)

For more information please visit:
www.nuffieldfoundation.org/scb  or
www.createafuture.co.uk/post16/nuffield.php

 

Nuffield Bursaries 2010 Timetable

26th January / 23rd March / 27th April – induction event at University of Birmingham

30th April – closing date for all applications

31st May – students informed of status of application

23rd June – mandatory successful student meeting

July / August 2010 – placements commence

27th  August – all placements end

30th September – projects and forms due in

October / November – Celebration event

University links

We hold regular visits to many universities including Birmingham, Oxford and Warwick

Visiting Speakers

Our students are fortunate to have the opportunity to hear about real science from real scientists.  Our most recent visit was from the ‘Scientist of the Year’ Mr Mill

Arrow-vale School
We have worked closely with our secondary partner school Arrow-vale to develop learning and teaching practices, mirror our Science and maths clubs, share teacher expertise and offer enrichment activities.

The Redditch Astronomy Society

The Redditch Astronomical Society was founded in 2007 by a group of like minded individuals in order to provide a friendly, entertaining and informative forum in which to discover and enjoy Astronomy in the Redditch and Bromsgrove area of the West Midlands.  We are proud to support and work with the society to provide a meeting place and deliver lectures to our students and local community.  They currently meet on the first Monday of the month in the Canterbury Suite, please come along.  For more information visit:

www.redditch-astro.org.uk

Teacher training

We have supported Birmingham University’s Department of Educational Studies in training PGCE students for a number of years. Given our proximity to the University department and that we are a large school with significant science teaching expertise, we are able to regularly accommodate additional students where there has been a shortfall in placements and students with problems on previous placements.