Science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics
| Mrs Sue Macey (Head of Department) |
BSc (UMIST) PGCE (Cantab) | Chemistry |
| Mrs Lynn Storrie (Teacher in Charge of Biology) |
BSc (Salford) PGCE (Manchester) | Biology |
| Dr Simon Rawle (Teacher in Charge of Physics) |
MA DPhil (Oxon) PGCE (Kingston) | Physics |
| Mrs Hazel Burrows | BA (Loughborough) PGCE (Chichester) | Physics |
| Miss Helen Clutterbuck | BSc PGCE (Warwick) | Science |
| Mrs Susannah Haynes | BSc (Imperial) PGCE (Reading) | Chemistry, Physics |
| Mrs Pauline McFadden | BSc Higher Diploma (National University of Ireland Galway) | Science |
| Miss Jacqueline Munnings | BSc (Plymouth) PGCE (Sussex) | Biology |
| Mr Shaun Oliver | BSc PGCE (Portsmouth) | Chemistry |
| Mrs Rupinder Sidhu | BSc (Coventry) QTS | Chemistry |
| Mrs Siobhan Smith | BSc PGCE (Leeds) | Chemistry |
| Mr Scott Temple | MChem PGCE (Sussex) | Chemistry |
| Mrs Christine Hobden | Laboratory Technician | |
| Mrs Jacqueline Knight | Laboratory Technician | |
| Dr Jodie Pawsey | Laboratory Technician |
We are a strongly female department which sends a positive message to our pupils in terms of their career options. We do not suffer from the perception that 'Science is not for girls' at Farnborough Hill.
Lower School
Years 7 and 8 are taught 'Science' for 3 hours per week by one teacher. It is taught in topics, identified as Biology, Chemistry or Physics based, which take 2-4 weeks each.
Year 9 are taught Biology, Chemistry and Physics by three specialist teachers for 1 hour per week for each Science. At this level, we think specialist teachers are the ideal. Teachers can convey more enthusiasm for a subject they are passionate about.
Upper School
At GCSE students have a choice for their GCSE Science courses. We offer the AQA specifications in:
The Core Option - This route leads to Combined Science GCSE (Double Award). Pupils study Biology, Chemistry and Physics with three specialist teachers. This is considered by the examination boards to be an acceptable route for continuing with the Sciences at A level.
Pupils following this route are set by ability from the beginning of Year 10. This enables us to teach the lower ability sets in small groups. We can then teach in a style and at a pace more appropriate to those pupils and we can give them more individual attention. We start with the intention that all pupils will be entered for the higher tier examination papers.
The Separate Sciences - This route leads to three GCSEs: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Each Science is studied with a specialist teacher. The uptake for the separate sciences has been increasing steadily over the last few years. In our opinion, this option is a more suitable preparation for those students intending to study Science at A level and beyond.
Sixth Form
Biology
Biology is a very popular subject at A level. We generally have two groups of students in both the Lower Sixth and the Upper Sixth. This is a desirable (though not absolutely required) subject for courses such as medicine. Many of our students do go on to study biological based courses at University, such as Biology, Zoology and Physiology. We follow the OCR A specification.
Chemistry
Chemistry is a popular subject at A level and we have two groups in both the Lower Sixth and the Upper Sixth. It is a required subject for most students wishing to embark on courses such as Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry and Pharmacy. It is also useful for students going on to study Physics or any of the Biological Sciences. We follow the OCR A specification.
Physics
Physics is about unravelling the complexity of the universe to discover how it works. It is an exciting and challenging subject, needing an inquiring mind and a logical approach. The rewards include a deeper understanding of the world around us and the development of analytical and practical skills sought by employers. Many of our girls have gone on to study Physics or Engineering at top universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and Manchester. Physics is also useful for those wanting to study other Sciences, Mathematics, even Music! Girls from Farnborough Hill have gone on to careers such as forensic scientist, medical engineer, optician, pilot, radiologist, speech therapist, and environmental engineer.
We study the new OCR Physics A syllabus.