Science

Our aim is to inspire pupils to develop their own natural curiosity of the world around them whilst enabling pupils to acquire the skills and qualifications that will allow them to grow as individuals and become life-long learners with successful careers.

Every teacher in the department is passionate about their subject and dedicated to engaging pupils in creative and supportive ways which gives each learner experiences and opportunities to achieve their full potential.

Key Stage 3

The Science Key Stage 3 curriculum is taught during Years 7, 8 and 9. Students have three lessons per week of Science. Students will hopefully have one teacher for all science lessons but if this is not possible will be taught by teachers in sequence.

Students follow all aspects of the National Curriculum, covering topics such as classification, forces, acids and bases, reproduction, electricity and atomic structure. Students are encouraged to think for themselves, but they are fully supported in developing an understanding of the ‘scientific method’.

Students are formatively assessed using a variety of tasks that look at practical skills and understanding, literacy, numeracy and scientific knowledge. In addition, all students will have formal tests at the start of the year and then once every term on the completion of three or four topics.  This will help prepare students for the new linear format of external assessment and provide both staff and parents with accurate data for tracking student progress.

Key Stage 4

The Science Key Stage 4 curriculum is taught from the start of Year 10 following the AQA Combined Science Trilogy Specification. Or the Trilogy Separate Course where the same numbers of units are covered in increasing depth.

Students can study all three sciences at GCSE, as an extra GCSE, but this has to be agreed by the Science department, based on their aptitude for the subject in Key Stage 3/4. All other students will continue to work for the Combined Science 2 GCSE option.

All students in Year 10 study the first 3/4 units of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and in Year 11 complete units 4, 5 and 6. They will then prepare for the exams by revision all six units from each subject.

• Units 1: Cell Biology, Atoms and the Periodic Table, Energy
• Units 2: Respiration, Organisation and Photosynthesis, Bonding, Electricity
• Units 3: Infection and Response, Quantitative, Particles
• Units 4: Homeostasis, Rates of Reactions, Forces
• Units 5: Inheritance, Industrial Reactions, Motion
• Units 6: Ecology, Earth, Waves

Students studying for GCSEs in Science will have two or three teachers and the number of lessons will depend upon whether they are doing combined or separate science. Details of this option can be found in the pathways booklet.

Examinations will take place in the summer of Year 11 with six exams of varying length, depending on the science course followed.

Key Stage 5

Each of the Science Key Stage 5 A-Level courses outlined below are taught in four lessons per week. Students are expected to complete a further five hours of independent learning outside of lesson time. This should include any homework set and further reading.

The new A-Levels require students to gain a practical endorsement certificate to show a capability in a wide range of scientific skills and therefore there is no coursework element to the courses but students will be expected to have some knowledge of practicals in their exams.

Biology

Offered at A-Level following the OCR Biology specification. Students sit three external exams in the summer of Year 13.

Topics taught include:

• Biological molecules
• Cells
• Organisms exchange substances with their environment
• Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms
• Energy transfers in and between organisms (A-Level only)
• Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments (A-Level only)
• Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems (A-Level only)
• The control of gene expression (A-Level only)

Chemistry

Offered at A-Level following the AQA Chemistry specification. Students sit three external exams in the summer of Year 13
Topics taught include

• Physical chemistry
• Periodicity
• Organic chemistry

Physics

Offered at A-Level following the OCR A Physics specification. Students sit three external exams in the summer of Year 13.

Topics taught include:

• Development of practical skills in physics
• Foundations in physics
• Forces and motion
• Electrons, waves and photons
• Newtonian world and astrophysics
• Particles and medical physics

Get more detailed information on what students look at on a term-by-term basis in each year group by clicking on the links below.

Click on the links below to see how students are assessed in KS3 and KS4