School of the Week Homewood School and 6th Form

Homewood School and Sixth Form College is a large, mixed, foundation comprehensive school with a substantial sixth form, located in Kent. It was awarded the PTI Schools Programme Mark for History and Science in November 2009.

Aims and Objectives

MATHEMATICS

THE AIMS

The course is intended to promote the primacy of subject knowledge, both among pupils of all abilities and among teachers. It aims to:

  • Provide an inspirational forum to agree the central role and enabling nature of mathematics within the school curriculum
  • Promote an understanding of the nature and scope of mathematics, and of the combination of comprehension, technical expertise, logic and rigour of practising mathematicians
  • Develop approaches that will equip students with the confidence to acquire and apply the mathematical knowledge and skills required in our increasingly complex and demanding society
  • Discuss and focus upon the core aspects of mathematics that should be taught at different levels
  • Develop expertise and facilitate the sharing of good practice in the teaching of mathematics

THE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the course is that teachers be re-inspired to teach their subject in a more rigorous, ambitious, and creative way, and influence their colleagues to do the same.  Specifically the course will:

  • Promote sufficient self-confidence in teachers to present curriculum ideas in a more flexible, creative, and mathematically rigorous way
  • Consider applications of mathematics, such as Hawkeye technology, applications of chaos theory, and the use of numbers in architecture and design
  • Promote greater challenges for both teachers and students in the classroom and give students a better understanding of mathematical reasoning

Museum

SCIENCE

THE AIMS

The aim of the course is to generate discussion about the nature and purposes of Science teaching and the place of values within Science education for the future by:

  • Providing an opportunity for practising teachers to consider the purposes of teaching Science and the place of values within it, to meet the challenges of the 21st century world
  • Offering a forum for the debate of these issues and to hear eminent scientists and leading science communicators and educators present some challenging perspectives of their own
  • Providing an opportunity for practising teachers to explore the principles of rigorous, relevant and responsible Science teaching in the 21st century, through participation in workshops led by experienced teachers
  • Probing critically current approaches to Science education and its assessment, examining the extent to which young people are being equipped to make informed judgments on the implications of scientific development and evaluate the impact of Science on the future well being of planet Earth

THE OBJECTIVES

We aim to tackle the following questions:

Why should we teach Science?

  • What is the role of Science as an essential foundation for understanding the 21st century world and what is its part in development for a sustainable future?

What Science should we teach at the different Key Stages and what should this contribute to young people’s education?

  • How important is the historical perspective in the teaching of Science and how is modern Science being evaluated? What aspects of Science can equip young people to make informed judgments for the well-being of their own lives and of the global society in which they live, and how can Science contribute to the constructive development of their values and their view of the world?

How should we teach Science?

  • What are the most effective ways to encourage the lasting interest and understanding of young people in Science, and enable them to use their knowledge and develop their values to live better and participate purposefully in decisions for the future?