Science at Belfast High School
What we provide:
Provision for pupils at Belfast High School is broad and balanced:
aAt Key Stage 3 all pupils attend classes in the separate sciences of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, each taught by a subject expert.
aAt Key Stage 4 pupils have the widest choice of science in this school’s catchment area. We offer GCSEs in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Double Award Science and Additional Applied Science. GCSE Electronics was added for September 2011.
aIn the Sixth Form at A Level we have six Biology classes, three of Chemistry and three of Physics. We also have eight A Level Mathematics classes and two of Technology.
aPupils from other schools in the Newtownabbey area come to Belfast High School to study A Level Chemistry and Mathematics.
What we achieve:
Pupils’ results in Science at Belfast High School are excellent:
aResults at Key Stage 3 in Science have been consistently above the NI Grammar School average.
aOver the last four years at GCSE, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Double Award Science have all been above the Northern Ireland Grammar School average.
aOver the last four years at A Level, the performance of our students in Biology, Chemistry and Physics has been above the Northern Ireland Grammar School average.
What we add:
Our pupils have many opportunities for enrichment:
aClubs and Societies include: Animal House, STEM Clubs (incorporating Science Club and Young Engineers) and Astronomy.
aAll year 8 pupils receive the CREST Bronze Award from the British Science Association following a series of high quality learning projectsl.
aAt least four Sixth Formers each year receive Nuffield Science Bursaries and Crest Gold Awards in Science for laboratory based projects undertaken and presented during the summer holidays.
aIn 2007 one of our Sixth Formers received the Dr Loughridge Prize for the highest marks in A Level Sciences in the Carrickfergus area. In 2008 another pupil was runner up.
aThere are strong links between Science and Careers departments. The school hosted a STEM Careers Conference for all schools in the area in February 2010.
aFour members of staff have participated in projects at the National Science Centre at the University of York.
aThe school is actively involved in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative, providing a wide experience of project based learning for pupils.
aA BHS school team from Key Stage 3 finished second in the North Eastern Board in this year’s Faraday Challenge, beating all other local grammar schools with their science project.
aDr Gibson (Head of Physics) was chosen as one of the two UK representatives at the first teachers' conference at the European Space Agency (ESA) in June 2010. All ESA member states were represented and the teachers who attended were chosen from several hundred applicants.