Science education in England
For the ages of 16, 17 and 18 (and older for those that remain in education below university-level), students in England do what is sometimes loosely called ‘key stage 5’ or KS5; it has no legal meaning (unlike the other key stages). And unlike KS1–4 in which the levels of complexity of topics learnt at each stage are prescribed within relatively narrow limits, at KS5, the levels of complexity of topics cover a wide range, although the highest level of complexity at KS5 is RQF level 3. Whether or not a student actually studies at this level of complexity in KS5 depends on his/her GCSE results—crucially on what subjects the student obtained passes at RQF level 2 standard (including mathematics and English) as well as the actual grades themselves. In other words, unlike KS1–4, where a specific student studies at one RQF level, at KS5, a specific student may be studying at several RQF levels depending on what s/he obtained at GCSEs. Regardless of the RQF-level mix, a KS5 student can do his/her post-16 study in one of the following:
Canon-McMillan School District
Canon-McMillan High School is the largest school building in the district, both geographically and by student population. Currently, about 2,000 students in grades 9-12 attend CMHS. The school was originally built and opened as Canon-McMillan Senior High School in 1958 with grades 10-12, and has been expanded and renovated in 1966, 1983, 1988, 1994, 2001-2003, and 2017-present. CMHS has two gymnasiums (Main and Auxiliary), a natatorium or indoor competitive swimming pool, a weight room, and a mat room for wrestling practice as its athletic facilities. The school also has four outdoor tennis courts and formerly had an open playing field and outdoor exercise yard on its premises. The school also has an auditorium and two classroom wings. The 1966 and 1983 extensions to CMHS both added additional classrooms, and the school's name was changed from Canon-McMillan Senior High to just Canon-McMillan High School in 1983. This was due to the district's reorganization plan which called for the 9th grade to be moved to the high school and for the junior high schools (which became middle schools at that point in time) to take on the 6th graders. The 1983 project also renovated the interior of the entire existing building, added seats to the auditorium, and reconfigured the athletic wing by replacing the original gym with a larger one that contained pull-out bleachers and an elevated walking track. The auxiliary gym, weight room, and mat room were added in 1988, and some other minor floor plan modifications were also made to other parts of the school at that time. The restrooms and locker rooms in that part of the building were remodeled in 1994. The 2001-2003 project was the longest and most major renovation in the school's history. This project completely demolished and rebuilt the school's academic wings, added more parking, and moved the library, cafeteria, kitchen, and teacher's lounge closer to the school's entrances. A centrally located commons area with high vaulted ceilings; known as the Atrium; was also created during this time. Some minor repainting took place in both gyms, and the wood flooring of both was replaced. A press box and more pull-out collapsible bleachers were added to the main gym above the elevated track, and the exercise yard was eliminated as it was in the way of the new set of loading docks and part of the new classroom portion of the school. The natatorium was also built in this area, and has two entrances off of the hallway in the athletic wing. The performing arts and technology wing was also expanded, and the original loading docks, which were located at the end of that wing, became secondary loading docks. The main entrance to the school was modernized and the doors pushed about 8 feet forward, and most of the building's front fascia was re-bricked to give a more clean and updated appearance. A large digital sign was also added to the front of the school as part of the project. In total, about 90 percent of the original building was either renovated or replaced, and the entire student and staff populations benefited from the project. It would effectively relieve severe overcrowding at CMHS for the next 8 years, and increase student capacity from barely 1,200 students to around 1,500 students. The student body would continue to grow, however, and by 2011, the enrollment at the school had exceeded the 1,500 student maximum. The school would remain overcrowded until 2017, when a new classroom extension was begun. Both academic wings were extended back, and the parking lot that used to be behind them was removed. The open playing field off of the athletic wing was paved over and made into a new lot to make up for lost parking area. Brand new Jumbotron-style scoreboards were installed in the main gym, along with revamped signage on the press box and outside of the doors. The auditorium was also remodeled and had seats added, and the stage and backstage areas were expanded. New, better lighting systems were also installed. This project is ongoing, as the band room is currently being expanded and one side of the new classroom extension still has yet to be furnished and is still receiving finishing touches. The estimated date of completion is January 2019.