Welcome to Science

Welcome to the Science homepage. The Science Centre is a state-of-the-art facility where our students are encouraged to achieve their potential through the doing of Science. Our overarching goals are that:

• Our students will become critical thinkers and curious, life-long learners with a responsible, global perspective and appreciation of the natural world.
• Our students will become scientifically literate, having the knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions and the ability to communicate effectively.
• Our students through doing science will develop a deep understanding of the Scientific Method with an appreciation of its continued impact on society and the environment.

Look into any of the fourteen purpose built laboratories and you will find students engaged in practical work, using the latest data logging equipment to gather and process data, other students would be viewing, on large screens, some of the hundreds of digitised videos available, while still others would be engrossed in a scientific debate about a current issue. We have a teaching team of twenty-two enthusiastic educators who are passionate about their subject and who competently facilitate learning. Their students achieve excellent results in the HSC. The teachers are supported by four lab assistants and the Chemical Safety Officer.

One night a week the Science Centre remains open till 8.30pm and some of our brightest students attend the exciting Science Extension program for Years 9 and 10. Having access to the Centre at this time also allows the opportunity for senior students to catch up mandatory practicals they have missed.

By exploring this web site you should get a good idea of the dynamic nature of Science at Barker and why it is such a pleasure to teach here.

Rob Paynter
Head of Science