Curriculum Vision

To provide stimulating and exciting science lessons to enable all students to make the best possible progress and develop a passion for science that encourages them to have a career in the sciences.

This is achieved by our highly motivated and enthusiastic staff that challenge and engage all students   through investigative, practical and modelling tasks.

Pupils are encouraged to respect and take pride in their own work as well as that of others. They are encouraged to develop and support their own views on ethical issues by studying related information and considering a range of views. By using critical thinking, creative insight, and their current scientific knowledge, students collaborate, investigate, solve problems, communicate, innovate, discover, and increase their understanding of science through hands-on experience.

Educational Trips

  • National History Museum
  • Field Studies Council: Bishop’s Wood
  • CERN (abroad)
  • Big Bang Science Fayre
  • STEM days (various)

Overview

Key Stage 3 (Year 7 – Year 9)

KS3 students are taught 10 Big Ideas over three years that cover various aspects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics with a focus on Practical and Working Scientifically Skills.  

After an initial Introduction to KS3 students will cover the following topics:

  • Forces
  • Matter
  • Organisms
  • Energy
  • Waves
  • Earth
  • Ecosystems
  • Electromagnets
  • Reactions 
  • Inheritance

Students will be assessed on their ability to communicate scientific ideas, practical skills, as well their ability to present and analyse evidence and mathematical skills. Students will complete several Subject Knowledge Checks (SKC’s) throughout the year reflecting on the topics they have learnt about in each term.

Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and Year 11)

All KS4 Students will follow the AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy course (8464). This qualification is linear, meaning that students will sit all their exams at the end of the course.

The Combined Science GCSE is examined by six 1 hour 15 min written examinations, each of which is worth 16.7%. There are two examinations on each subject – Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There are 21 required practical’s that are delivered throughout the course. There will be questions relating to these practical’s on the written examination papers.

Link to specification below:

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-trilogy-8464/specification-at-a-glance

Mathematics skills are included in the assessment of all GCSE science qualifications. A minimum percentage of marks must be allocated to assessing mathematical skills at an appropriate level of difficulty, in line with new rules and guidance from the Department for Education. Basic Practical skills developed in KS3 will be needed to complete a series of ‘required practical’s’, which all students must complete over the duration of the course, and which are tested along with theoretical science content in the six examinations.

Year 10

During year 10 the students will cover a wide range to topics to prepare for their GCSE exams at the end of year 11. Throughout the year they will rotate through Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics with an emphasis on developing investigative skills throughout the course.  Topics from previous years are built on and new more challenging concepts are introduced. Students will also practice their exam technique on a range of worked examples with the teacher as well as independent work. 

Year 10 Biology topics include:

  • B1 Cell Biology
  • B2 Organisation
  • B3 Infection and Response
  • B4 Bioenergetics
  • B5 Homeostasis

Year 10 Chemistry topics include:

  • C1 Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
  • C2 Bonding, Structure and Properties of Matter
  • C3 Quantitative Chemistry
  • C4 Chemical Changes
  • C5 Energy changes
  • C6 The Rate and Extent of Chemical Change.

Year 10 Physics topics include:

  • P1 Energy
  • P2 Electricity
  • P3 Particle Model of Matter
  • P4 Atomic Structure
  • P5 Forces 

Year 11

During year 11 students will learn any additional content required for the AQA GCSE specification. After this they focus on revision and exam practice, they are encouraged to review their own work to highlight areas where they do not understand the content or require more support and teachers respond with lessons tailored to these topics.

Year 11 Biology topics include:

  • B6 Inheritance, Variation and Evolution
  • B7 Ecology

Year 11 Chemistry topics include:

  • C7 Organic chemistry
  • C8 Chemical Analysis
  • C9 Chemistry of the Atmosphere
  • C10 Using resources  

Year 11 Physics topics include:

  • P6 Waves
  • P7 Magnetism and Electromagnetism

Students will be assessed on their ability to communicate scientific ideas, practical skills, as well their ability to present and analyse evidence and mathematical skills. Students will complete several Subject Knowledge Checks (SKC’s) throughout the year reflecting on the topics they have learnt about in each term. KS4 students will also complete Mock examinations at the end of Year 10 as well as in the Autumn and Spring Term in Year 11.

Key Stage 5 (Year 12 and Year 13)

Students who meet the entry requirements for sixth form can choose to enrol onto the following courses.

  • AQA A Level Biology
  • AQA A Level Chemistry
  • AQA A Level Physics (Taught within the Academy Trust)
  • BTEC Level 3 Diploma In Applied Science (Pearson)

The A Level science curriculum aims plan to inspire, develop curiosity and nurture a passion for the subject for a solid foundation for a successful journey into higher education and employment. We ensure concepts are linked with how the world is enriched with the applications of chemistry, biology and physics.

Assessments are a continuous part of the course and are frequent with an internal mock exam in the autumn and spring Term.

For A Level. there will be three final examinations, each two hours in length to examine all the content of the course covered over the two years which include all practical work. To be awarded the practical endorsement, students must pass all skills criteria by the end of the course. For BTEC assessment will be by exams and coursework.

Curriculum Enrichment

Students should spend time reading around the subject and looking for ways to extend their knowledge away from what is done in the classroom to a more complete context. Students should try to partake in opportunities within and external to school to enrich their science-based knowledge using trips, university master classes lectures, open days, STEM activities, career workshops, webinars, podcasts, Olympiads, museums, clubs and work experience. This will also enable students to reflect on and provide an enriched UCAS statement to support their applications. University interviews will be stronger if students can talk about other experiences in support of the courses that they are studying.

Course Content:

Topics covered in Year 12 A Level Chemistry:

  • Atomic structure
  • Amount of substance
  • Bonding
  • Periodicity
  • Introduction to organic chemistry
  • Alkanes
  • Halogenoalkanes
  • Alkenes
  • Oxidation reduction and redox equations
  • Group 2, the alkaline earth metals
  • Group 7(17), the halogens
  • Energetics
  • Kinetics
  • Chemical equilibria and Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc
  • Alcohols
  • Organic analysis

Topics covered in Year 13 A Level Chemistry:

  • Rate equations
  • Equilibrium constant Kp for homogeneous systems
  • Acids and bases
  • Optical isomerism
  • Aldehydes and ketones
  • Carboxylic acids and derivatives
  • Thermodynamics
  • Aromatic chemistry
  • Organic synthesis
  • Amines
  • Polymers
  • Amino acids, proteins and DNA
  • Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells
  • Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides
  • Transition metals
  • Reactions of ions in aqueous solution
  • Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
  • Chromatography

 Topics covered in Year 12 A Level Biology:

  1. Biological Molecules
  2. Cells
  3. Organisms exchange substances with their environment
  4. Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
  5. Populations and ecosystems

Topics covered in Year 13 Biology:

  1. Energy transfers in and between organisms
  2. Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments
  3. Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems
  4. The control of gene expression 

Topics covered in Year 12 A Level Physics:

  1. Quantities, measurements and units
  2. Electricity
  3. Mechanics
  4. Waves and optics
  5. Matter and radiation
  6. A research task and presentation

Topics covered in Year 13 A Level Physics:

  1. Periodic motion
  2. Fields and further mechanics
  3. Nuclear physics
  4. Thermal physics
  5. Optional topic (turning points in physics)

Topics covered in BTEC L3 Applied Science Year 12 and 13:

The units below deliver core chemistry, biology and physics content:

  • Principles and Applications of Science I (Exam)
  • Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques (Coursework)
  • Science Investigation Skills (Exam)
  • Laboratory Techniques and their Application (Coursework)
  • Principles and Applications of Science II (Exam)
  • Investigative Project (Coursework)
  • Contemporary issues in Science (Exam)

Optional units include: Physiology of Human Body Systems, Biological Molecules and Metabolic pathways, Electrical Circuits and their Application, Medical Physics Applications, Forensic Evidence, collection and Analysis.

Exams: January with opportunity to resit in May.

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