Science

Approach to Teaching

To develop and promote the natural inquisitiveness, enthusiasm, passion and creative talents of students for learning Science.

This approach is achieved by students:

• Setting their own learning goals within each topic.
• Planning investigations and obtaining sufficient data to support or refute a hypothesis.
• Observing and reflecting on experimental data.
• Identifying and solving problems by thinking creatively.
• Assessing their own progress through extended writing tasks and exam questions.
• Assessing the progress of their peers by offering constructive feedback.

Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9)

Year 7

Students will complete a short introductory unit followed by six units.

• Introductory unit - Working Safely in a Lab
• 7B1 Cells and Reproduction
• 7B2 Plants and Photosynthesis
• 7C1 Particle Model for Solids, Liquids, Gases and Solutions
• 7C2 Simple Chemical Reactions
• 7P1 Energy
• 7P2 Forces and Space

Year 8

Students will study six units throughout the year.

• 8B1 Food, Digestion and Respiration
• 8B2 Feeding and Ecological Relationships
• 8C1 Atoms and Elements, Compounds and Mixtures
• 8C2 Acid, Alkali and Metal Reactions
• 8P1 Energy and Electricity
• 8P2 Light, Sound and Hearing

Year 9

Students will complete six shorter units during the autumn and spring term.

• 9B1 Cells, Inheritance and Selection
• 9B2 Fit and Healthy. Micro-organisms and Disease
• 9C1 Patterns of Reactivity Energy Changes
• 9C2 Rocks and Environmental Chemistry
• 9P1 Magnets, Electromagnets and Electricity Production
• 9P2 Speed, Pressure and Moments
• During the summer term, students will prepare for their SATs and complete an introductory GCSE skills unit.

Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)

Exam board Summer 2020 and beyond – EDEXCEL

Most students will complete GCSE Combined Science

GCSE Combined Science (1SC0)

All examinations are completed at the end of year 11. 6 exam papers (each worth 16.67%) – A mixture of different question styles, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, calculations and extended open-response questions. Calculators may be used in the examinations. All papers to be completed at either Foundation tier grades 1-1 to 5-5 or Higher tier grades 4-4 to 9-9.

• Paper 1: Biology (1SC0/1BF, 1SC0/1BH) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Biology, Topic 2 – Cells and Control, Topic 3 – Genetics, Topic 4 – Natural Selection and Genetic Modification, Topic 5 – Health, Disease and the Development of Medicine.

• Paper 2: Biology (1SC0/2BF, 1SC0/2BH) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Biology, Topic 6 – Plant Structures and their Functions, Topic 7 – Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis, Topic 8 – Exchange and Transport in Animals, Topic 9 – Ecosystems and Material Cycles.

• Paper 3: Chemistry (1SC0/1CF, 1SC0/1CH) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Chemistry, Topic 2 – States of Matter and Mixtures, Topic 3 – Chemical Changes, Topic 4 – Extracting Metals and Equilibria.

• Paper 4: Chemistry (1SC0/2CF, 1SC0/2CH) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Chemistry, Topic 6 – Groups in the Periodic Table, Topic 7 – Rates of Reaction and Energy Changes, Topic 8 – Fuels and Earth Science.

• Paper 5: Physics (1SC0/1PF, 1SC0/1PH) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts of Physics, Topic 2 – Motion and Forces, Topic 3 – Conservation of Energy, Topic 4 – Waves, Topic 5 – Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum, Topic 6 – Radioactivity.

• Paper 6: Physics (1SC0/2PF, 1SC0/2PH) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts of Physics, Topic 8 – Energy - Forces Doing Work, Topic 9 – Forces and their Effects, Topic 10 – Electricity and Circuits, Topic 12 – Magnetism and the Motor Effect, Topic 13 – Electromagnetic Induction, Topic 14 – Particle Model, Topic 15 – Forces and Matter

Triple Science

Three separate GCSE’s covering concepts in greater detail.

GCSE Biology (1BI0)

Examinations completed at the end of year 10. 2 exam papers (each worth 50%)– A mixture of different question styles, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, calculations and extended open-response questions. Calculators may be used in the examinations. All papers to be completed at either Foundation tier grades 1 to 5 or Higher tier grades 4 to 9.

• Paper 1: Biology (1BI0/1F or 1BI0/1H) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Biology, Topic 2 – Cells and Control, Topic 3 – Genetics, Topic 4 – Natural Selection and Genetic Modification, Topic 5 – Health, Disease and the Development of Medicines.

• Paper 2: Biology (1BI0/2F or 1BI0/2H) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Biology, Topic 6 – Plant Structures and their Functions, Topic 7 – Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis, Topic 8 – Exchange and Transport in Animals, Topic 9 – Ecosystems and Material Cycles.

GCSE Chemistry (1CH0)

Examinations completed at the end of year 11. 2 exam papers (each worth 50%)– A mixture of different question styles, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, calculations and extended open-response questions. Calculators may be used in the examinations. All papers to be completed at either Foundation tier grades 1 to 5 or Higher tier grades 4 to 9.

• Paper 1: Chemistry (1CH0/1F or 1CH0/1H) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts in Chemistry, Topic 2 – States of Matter and Mixtures, Topic 3 – Chemical Changes, Topic 4 – Extracting Metals and Equilibria, Topic 5 – Separate Chemistry 1.

• Paper 2: Chemistry (1CH0/2F or 1CH0/2H) - Topic 1 – Key concepts in Chemistry, Topic 6 – Groups in the Periodic Table, Topic 7 – Rates of Reaction and Energy Changes, Topic 8 – Fuels and Earth Science, Topic 9 – Separate Chemistry 2

GCSE Physics (1PH0)

Examinations completed at the end of year 11. 2 exam papers (each worth 50%)– A mixture of different question styles, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, calculations and extended open-response questions. Calculators may be used in the examinations. All papers to be completed at either Foundation tier grades 1 to 5 or Higher tier grades 4 to 9.

• Paper 1: Physics (1PH0/1F or 1PH0/1H) - Topic 1 – Key concepts of Physics, Topic 2 – Motion and Forces, Topic 3 – Conservation of Energy, Topic 4 – Waves, Topic 5 – Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum, Topic 6 – Radioactivity, Topic 7 – Astronomy.

• Paper 2: Physics 1PH0/2F or 1PH0/2H) - Topic 1 – Key Concepts of Physics, Topic 8 – Energy - Forces Doing Work, Topic 9 – Forces and their Effects, Topic 10 – Electricity and Circuits, Topic 11 – Static Electricity, Topic 12 – Magnetism and the Motor Effect, Topic 13 – Electromagnetic Induction, Topic 14 – Particle Model, Topic 15 – Forces and Matter.