The Edinburgh Academy

The Maxwell Centre

At a cost of £4.3 million, The Edinburgh Academy has constructed a new science centre, the James Clerk Maxwell Centre. To ensure that the future pupils of the school have the best possible chance to emulate and even perhaps aspire to surpass the achievements of past pupils such as Maxwell, we have created a state of the art facility for science education.

Modern science relies heavily on new technology, and science teaching must move with the times. This is not the sort of education where all you need is a classroom and a teacher. The new science centre is bristling with technology to bring science teaching into the 21st century. The new laboratories have been purpose designed, and are therefore ideally suited to the practical activities of a modern scientific education.

Laboratories

Much time and effort has gone into the design of the new Physics laboratories. The labs are all fully equipped with the latest IT aids to enhance teaching and learning, to a specification designed by the Academy’s own staff.

An extensive range of equipment is stored, including the state-of-the-art digital oscilloscopes and multimeters. Radioactive materials are stored safely in a special room, for use in the A-Level courses.

Science at the Academy is very much a hands-on practical experience for the pupils and the movement of equipment has been facilitated by the technician areas being linked by lifts and, across the foyer, by the Academy’s own “ Bridge of Sighs”.

Electronics

There is an electronics laboratory with a PCB/UV machine and Circuit-board precision drills. Juniors are taught electronics as a separate subject, it is combined with Physics for senior pupils.

There is an electronics activity after school, on most days. Juniors can create circuits using 'breadboard' kits, while older pupils can create their own devices.

Careers

The Physics course should be given serious consideration by those who may be interested in pursuing scientifically oriented careers - e.g. in professional engineering (Aeronautical, Civil including Architecture, Electrical, Electronics, Materials, Mechanical, Nautical), in pure or applied science, or in medicine.

For many years subjects like engineering and medicine have featured high on the destinations leader board of former pupils and the new Science Centre should help to increase that flow.

Years 1 to 3

The first and second year courses aim to build on work started in the Junior School.  The emphasis is on processes rather than content; inevitably there is a body of knowledge to be acquired, but this knowledge is more important as a vehicle for developing process skills than in its own right.

Geits

The course starts with an introduction to essential laboratory safety and seeks to instil an awareness of safety needs.  The key areas explored are: measuring skills length, area, volume, mass, and time; energy types and generation; states of matter coupled with the effects of heat and kinetic theory; density; static and dynamic electricity; electronics.  The Electronics section is very practical in its nature and will include a project which will be completed in Design Technology.

Seconds

The topics for study in the second year are: heat transfer; forces; work and power; sound; pressure; astronomy; electronics.  Again the Electronics course is very practical.

Thirds

Physics in the third year allows pupils insight into the mechanics of motion, the generation and use of mechanical and electrical power, use of materials and the application of optics.  All these topics form an introduction to their respective GCSE syllabus areas.  This course also allows I.T. skills to be applied to practical situations.

During the Summer Term, the 3rds will make a start on the GCSE course itself.