Science

Curriculum Content

Year 7

Students will be following an engaging curriculum with links to real life and work. They will be studying:

·         Cells and Organisation

·         Reproduction

·         Particle Model and Physical Changes

·         Atoms, Elements, Compounds and Mixtures and the Periodic Table

·         Green Power Car – Electricity

·         Green Power Car – Forces

·         Energy Resources

They will be learning through a mixture of workshops, masterclasses led by teachers and lectures from guest speakers. Students will work in mixed attainment classes and will complete an assessment at the end of each term.

Year 8

Students will be following on from their year 7 curriculum following the Activate for AQA course. The topics they will be studying are:

·         Forces and the electromagnetic spectrum

·         Matter

·         Living organisms

·         The Earth

·         Energy

·         Interdependence in Ecosystems

·         Chemical reactions

·         Genes

·         Waves

They will be learning through a mixture of lessons and practical activities and will complete an assessment towards the end of each term.

Year 9

In year 9, students start their GCSE Science course. All students will follow the AQA Combined Science: Trilogy and will decide towards the end of the year whether they would like to take the triple science option. During year 9 students will study:

·         Cell Biology

·         Energy

·         Atomic Structure

·         Organisation

·         Structures and Bonding

All students will complete GCSE style assessments towards the end of each term.

Year 10

In year 10, students will continue developing their GCSE science knowledge for the AQA Combined Science: Trilogy or the triple science course if they have selected it. They will study the following topics:

·         Infection and Response

·         Quantitative Chemistry

·         Atomic Structure (physics)

·         Particle Model

·         Electricity

·         Bioenergetics

·         Chemical Changes

·         Forces

·         Energy Changes

Students will also need to revise the content covered in year 9. Towards the end of year 10, students will take real GCSE exam papers as mock exams.

Year 11

In year 11, students will continue developing their GCSE science knowledge for the AQA Combined Science: Trilogy or the triple science course if they have selected it. They will study the following topics:

·         Homeostasis

·         Waves

·         Rates of reaction

·         Organic Chemistry

·         Chemical Analysis

·         Inheritance

·         Magnetism

·         Ecology

·         Chemistry of the Atmosphere

·         Using Resources

Students will also need to revise the content covered in year 9 and 10. In year 11 the students will sit a complete set of mock papers to help them to prepare for their end of year exams.

 

Curriculum Approach

A high-quality Science education is a fundamental part of a citizens’ baccalaureate, equipping our young people with the basic understanding of key concepts essential for their lives as individuals and citizens of the world.

Throughout their lives, pupils will face challenges in decisions they will have to make – e.g. vaccinating their children, understanding of risk, choices about the sort of energy source a car uses, alternatives to fossil fuel for electricity generation, dietary choices. It is vital that they are able to see beyond the current vogue for popular opinion that goes against acknowledged understanding based on valid data.

Many people see Science as being too remote and too difficult. Without an understanding of the Scientific Method they fail to see the essential peer review process that ensures that important ideas are more than opinion. Emergence of the anti-vax movement and of climate change denials are new challenges we must rise to.

Our Science curriculum focuses on key fundamental concepts and develops in depth and breadth over the five years. We make the Science relevant and open pupils’ minds to opportunities that are available to them for their futures. It promotes in pupils a curiosity about the world around them. It will equip all pupils for their lives whether they intend to continue their formal Science education at college and university or not.

Phase of Education Specific Requirements

Courses available to pupils at key stage 4, including GCSEs:

GCSE Triple Science:

Find Out More

To find out more about the independent tasks for KS3, please refer to the Realsmart portfolios. Here you will also find more details about end of unit assessments and the criteria that we use to assess student progress. Alternatively, please contact the head of department or your child’s class teacher.

Future Careers

Scientists are needed in the public and private sectors and are hired by lots of employers including chemical and pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, universities, food and drink manufacturers, hospitals, environmental agencies, the government and charities such as Cancer Research.

As a scientist, here are some of the types of work you could find yourself doing:

  • Research and development – your observations may be used by you or others to devise new products such as drugs, foods, building materials or cleaning agents.
  • Monitoring industrial processes – you may analyse the products coming off a production line to ensure that they continue to be made to the correct standard in a safe and reliable way.
  • Monitoring the environment of the earth and beyond – you may be measuring things ranging from the quality of air and water to ensure necessary standards are met, to the output of the sun to help predict the effects of solar storms on communication satellites.

Scientists do more than research, test and measure. You will also find yourself presenting your findings to other scientists and possibly to non-technical staff too.

There are other types of work done by scientists. If you decide on a career in science, you could find yourself:

  • collecting data on weather and climate and making both short and long-term predictions
  • monitoring pollution in the environment and reporting your data to industry or government
  • ensuring the health of animals kept in zoos, on farms and in people’s homes
  • investigating the action of water in the environment and its effects on flood defences
  • using scientific methods to date objects found on archaeological digs

Science Learning Journey

We equip students with the skills and experiences during their time at school, to be able to progress to Further and Higher Education and ultimately be able to pursue a career in Science. 

View our Science Learning Journey.

The Science Department is based in our Investigate Wing

Investigate Wing