Science at Sunningdale boasts a thriving Science Department and is well equipped with a brand new laboratory. At Sunningdale, science is not just a subject it is a way of knowing, a process of thought, derived and supported by a great deal of experimentation and observation. The emphasis is very much on exploration and having fun and the boys are constantly pushed to think creatively to try and understand the world around them.

Science is a core subject in the National Curriculum and in the Common Entrance examination, and the four attainment targets are:

• Scientific enquiry

• Life & living processes

• Materials & their properties

• Physical processes

Aims & Objectives

• To develop an interest and an enthusiasm for science

• To develop a range of laboratory skills, including handling apparatus and chemicals safely and competently

• To plan an investigation

• To make accurate observations and present data accurately

• To cultivate an understanding of the scientific method which will involve the design of fair and controlled experiments

• To interpret observations and draw conclusions

Lectures and Trips

Throughout the forthcoming year the Science Department will be organising a number of lectures and a series of visits to local areas of interest. These visits, like the lectures, are an integral part of our teaching of Science. Visits will include trips to the Natural History Museum, Windsor Great Park & The Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew).

Clubs

We encourage the children to extend their knowledge and interest in Science by having a weekly science club (Michaelmas & Spring Term), which usually involves making smelly gases and things that go bang! They also thoroughly enjoy looking after the lab aquarium.

Science Field Trip

In their final year the Common Entrance candidates go on a joint field trip with the geography department to undertake two habitat studies and enjoy some cosmology. The data which they collect in the habitat studies will allow them to complete an end of year project.