Future Scientists (STEM) – Canford

Academic Content
Engage in 15 hours of science lessons each week, guided by an experienced tutor. Lessons are interactive, practical, and designed to inspire curiosity, allowing you to explore key areas of biology, chemistry, and physics through experiments, demonstrations, and discussion.

Time to Shine
Put your scientific knowledge into action through collaborative ‘Time to Shine’ group projects. Working with your peers, you’ll tackle exciting challenges and present your innovative ideas at the end-of-week ceremony — a celebration of creativity, teamwork, and discovery.

Excursions
Experience unforgettable excursions to some of the UK’s most exciting destinations. From thrilling rides at Thorpe Park to inspiring visits in London, each trip is designed to spark curiosity, build friendships, and connect your learning with new experiences.

Social Programme
Each week offers new opportunities to develop skills and make memories through a lively social programme. Take part in sports, performing arts, creative workshops, tech challenges, and our survival academy. You’ll also get to showcase your talents in the talent show and celebrate your achievements at our end-of-week disco nights.

Develop English Language Skills
Throughout the programme, you’ll strengthen your English language skills by expanding your scientific vocabulary and practising communication through discussions, experiments, and presentations — including your Time to Shine project.

End-of-Course Report and Certificate
At the end of the programme, you’ll receive a personalised end-of-course report and a certificate of achievement. These documents highlight your progress, the skills you’ve developed, and the contributions you’ve made in class and group projects. Your report includes thoughtful feedback from tutors, while your certificate serves as formal recognition of your success — valuable evidence of your growth for future academic applications.

The Future City 2050 Festival — Imagining Tomorrow

The Future City 2050 Festival invites students to envision a city of the future and bring it vividly to life. Throughout the week, groups collaborate across subjects to design how the city looks, functions, and grows — from its architecture and transport systems to the science, art, and culture that shape daily life.

The week culminates in a festival where the entire school comes together — lights rise, exhibits open, and performances fill the stage. The atmosphere feels like stepping inside the world you’ve collectively imagined, celebrating creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

Create a Life-Changing Invention

In the first project, groups design a product or service that improves everyday life in the city of 2050. It could be an energy-efficient home, a new way to manage waste, or technology that helps communities stay connected.

Students move beyond the idea stage to develop a detailed prototype — a digital mock-up, scale model, or physical build — supported by clear explanations of its use and impact. The result is a practical, forward-thinking solution to the challenges of urban living.

Design the Urban Transport of the Future

In the second week, the challenge turns to how people and goods move through a future city. Groups explore the limits of space and sustainability, designing transport systems that are efficient, inclusive, and environmentally sound.

From shared autonomous vehicles to aerial routes or built-in rapid transit, each project tackles a real challenge of the future. Students present their designs to an audience, explaining why their ideas are practical for 2050 and how they will transform the way city life flows.

Understand Core Scientific Principles
Build a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, and physics through interactive lessons and engaging practical activities. Explore the fundamental ideas that underpin the sciences and discover how they interconnect to explain the world around us.

Apply Knowledge Through Experiments
Take part in hands-on experiments that bring scientific concepts to life. Learn how to design investigations, test hypotheses, and see how scientific theories apply to observable phenomena in everyday life.

Develop Analytical Thinking
Sharpen your ability to observe, measure, and interpret results accurately. Through guided inquiry and experimentation, you’ll enhance your problem-solving and critical thinking skills — essential qualities for any aspiring scientist.

Communicate Scientific Ideas
Practise presenting your discoveries clearly and confidently in discussions, group projects, and Time to Shine presentations. You’ll develop the skills to communicate complex scientific ideas effectively to a range of audiences.

Module 1: Life and Living Systems
Explore the fascinating world of biology by examining how living organisms function and interact with their environments. You’ll study the structure of cells, investigate ecosystems, and uncover the relationships between different species. Through hands-on experiments and field observations, you’ll see how biological principles explain the diversity of life on Earth.

Module 2: Matter, Motion and Energy
Discover how chemistry and physics influence the world around us. You’ll learn about the composition and properties of materials, explore how substances react and change, and study how energy and forces operate within systems. Practical experiments and investigations will help you apply these scientific concepts to everyday phenomena.

Module 3: The Wonders of Space and Earth
Journey through the universe as you study the planets, stars, and the dynamic systems of our own planet. You’ll learn about the solar system, the Earth’s composition, and the natural forces that shape its surface. Through creative and exploratory activities, you’ll gain insight into geology, astronomy, and how science enables us to understand both our planet and the cosmos.