Science

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Sciences  Key Stage 3

With inquiry at the core, the science framework aims to guide students to independently and collaboratively investigate issues through research, observation and experimentation. The science curriculum must explore the connections between science and everyday life. As they investigate real examples of science applications, students will discover the tensions and dependencies between science and morality, ethics, culture, economics, politics, and the environment.

Scientific inquiry also fosters critical and creative thinking about research and design, as well as the identification of assumptions and alternative explanations. Students should learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others, gain good ethical-reasoning skills and further develop their sense of responsibility as members of local and global communities.

Year 7

In their first year, students in Science will study topics linked to what they are, how they work and how they fit into a global ecosystem. They will learn basic practical laboratory skills and develop planning and analysis skills through practical projects and research tasks. Assessment is spread across variety of tasks including; designing and carrying out practical investigations, producing scientific models, formal tests, research tasks, group presentations and independent projects.

Term	Content
Christmas	What am I? Including topics: Cells and Reproduction, Particles and Matter, Energy Transfers and Changes
Easter	Why does it go bang? Including topics: Acids and Alkalis, Simple Chemical Reactions Who am I? Including topics: Variation and Classification, The Solar System and Space
Summer	Where do I fit in? Environments and Food chains, Sustainability and Conservation

 

Year 8

In their second year, students build on their skills by undertaking more independent work, designing and writing up their own practical investigations and learning to evaluate and critique published science. Their topics take them further into their exploration of how their bodies work and their relationship and dependence on their planet and its resources. They will also study some of the physical elements of their environment and how they behave in the same way throughout the universe. Assessment continues to take a variety of forms, with more in-depth research tasks and independent project work added.

Term	Content
Christmas	Staying alive! Including topics: Digestion and Healthy Eating, Microbes and Disease Where does that energy go? Including topics: Heating and Cooling, Elements and Reactions
Easter	Why does the beach move? Including topics: Rock Cycle, Erosion and Weathering See no evil, hear no evil… Including topics: Light, Sound
Summer	Patterns and Relationships Including topics: Ecological Relationships, Magnetism, Periodic Table

 

Year 9

In year 3, the students are beginning to develop a real independence of thought and enquiry, and the program of study allows them to further enhance their understanding and analytical abilities. The topics studied start to bring together broader concepts and ideas and the students learn to tie together information and knowledge from a wide range of sources and topics to explain phenomena and processes. They also develop their critical thinking and analysis skills by exploring various published science sources and investigating the claims made or refuted within them.

Term	Content
Christmas	How does the Sun power our planet? Including topics: Photosynthesis, Energy changes and Electricity Generation What impact am I leaving? Environmental Chemistry How do our machines work? Pressure and Moments
Easter	How do I work as a machine? Including topics: Respiration, Breathing and Circulation Measuring natural phenomena Including topics: Speed, Reactivity
Summer	What makes me, me? And what happens next? Including topics: Inheritance, Selection and Evolution Making use of wonderful nature Using Chemistry Is anybody out there? Gravity and Space

 

Sciences Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, Year 10 & 11 students have the choice of whether to study Triple Science or Dual Award Sciences.

 

 

 

 

 

Triple Award Science:

These subjects will also follow the AQA Certificate specifications, culminating in two 90 minute papers for each subject at the end of year 11. The three courses are broad and varied, with an emphasis on correct scientific language, technique and justification. These courses give an excellent grounding for anyone wishing to study the sciences further at sixth form and beyond.

 

The subject areas cover the same ones as the Double Award, but at a higher level of study, and include extra topics in each subject, such as plant biology, food chains, biomass, the carbon and nitrogen cycles in Biology; the periodic table, air and water, alcohols and esters, ammonia production and electrolysis in Chemistry; and within physics the topics titles stay the same, but the content is covered at a much higher level of detail and complexity.

 

 

For more information on Year 11 (sitting final exams in June 2017) science examinations, follow these links:

Biology

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/biology-4401

 

Chemistry

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/chemistry-4402

 

Physics

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/physics-4403

 

Dual Award

Core http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/science-a-4405

Additional http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/additional-science-4408

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