Our key stage 3 curriculum (Year 7 and 8) will start our students off with the foundational knowledge and skills that will be built upon in the 7 year Science curriculum. Students will be introduced to knowledge organisers for the first time and learn and how to use these to ensure knowledge is embedded in their memories. Students will study a wide range of topics from space to genetics to the periodic table. Our skilled teachers ensure that our students will be stretched to think about how this knowledge applies to a variety of contexts and ensure that the knowledge they learn is accurate and in depth. We want to upskill all our students to not only understand science but to speak, write and investigate like a Scientist. Our teaching is rigorous. We want our students to become true academics in our subject. We will ensure that when our students reach GCSE they are confident in their ability and know exactly what it is they need to do in order to succeed in Science. 

The aim of our Key Stage 3 Curriculum is to:

• Teach the fundamental building blocks of science that will enable our students to be successful at GCSE and A level.
• Build confidence in our students’ abilities to not only remember knowledge but to speak, investigate and write scientifically. 
• Encourage students to be independent, organised scientists from the very beginning.
• Open students’ eyes to a new world and show them how exciting Science can be.

Click here to view the curriculum 

Students will study their GCSE course from year 9. They will either be working towards the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science Course (2 GCSEs) or the Edexcel Separate Science course (3 GCSEs). All examinations will be at the end of year 11 and they will be graded using the GCSE grades 1-9.

At Key Stage 4, students will build on the blocks laid in key stage 3 by continuing to use their knowledge organisers to routinely embed the new knowledge that links to their key stage 3 course.  Teachers will continue to assess their students against the key skills required by all Scientists; knowledge, practical skills, scientific literacy, application and cross curricula linkage to ensure we continue to build our students abilities as Scientists.

Skills

Students in KS4 will focus on the necessary scientific and exam skills that will focus on the underlying nuances that enable the students to understand the topics in depth and to master exam questions. These skills are embedded in each and every lesson the students receive to ensure comprehensive cover. The skills students will encounter are;

• numeracy (such as calculations, graph analysis, unit conversions),
• literacy (such as reading scientific articles, dissecting text, writing lab reports and debating key issues)
• practical (such as key techniques, novel experiments, independent investigation and science fairs)
• Decoding exam questions through a thorough understanding of command words and depth of knowledge of content

This will deepen their knowledge and understanding of the science topics they have covered, increasing their ability as not only scientists but as academic scholars.

Practical work

Although there is no coursework element at KS4, students will be expected to complete a certain number of core practicals and to have understood them deeply. This will include an in depth understanding of the techniques, the scientific process and the evaluation all of these studies. These will then be assessed in the GCSE exam. KS3 and embedded scientific and exam skills should support our students in writing about these core practicals successfully.

Combined Science: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Science/2016/Specification/GCSE_CombinedScience_Spec.pdf

Triple Biology: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Science/2016/Specification/GCSE_Biology_Spec.pdf

Triple Chemistry: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Science/2016/Specification/GCSE_Chemistry_Spec.pdf

Triple Physics: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Science/2016/Specification/GCSE_Physics_Spec.pdf

The course will cover the content listed below.

The specification for this course can be found HERE.

Assessment for this route will consist of six exam papers.
 

Biology Paper 1 Written Examination: 1 hour and 10 minutes 16.67% of the qualification, 60 marks

Content overview

• 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

Biology Paper 2 Written Examination: 1 hour and 10 minutes 16.67% of the qualification, 60 marks

• 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

Chemistry Paper 1 Written Examination: 1 hour and 10 minutes 16.67% of the qualification, 60 marks

• Topic 1 – Key concepts in chemistry
• Topic 2 – States of matter and mixtures
• Topic 3 – Chemical changes
• Topic 4 – Extracting metals and equilibria

Chemistry Paper 2 Written Examination: 1 hour and 10 minutes 16.67% of the qualification, 60 marks

• 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

Physics Paper 2 Written Examination: 1 hour and 10 minutes 16.67% of the qualification, 60 marks

• 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

Physics Paper 2 Written Examination: 1 hour and 10 minutes 16.67% of the qualification, 60 marks

• 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

Assessment for this route will consist of two exam papers per GCSE subject.

The specifications for these GCSEs can be found here

Biology

Chemistry

Physics

Biology Paper 1 Written Examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes 50% of the qualification 100 marks

Content overview:

• 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

Biology Paper 2 Written Examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes 50% of the qualification 100 marks

Content overview

• 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

Chemistry Paper 1-Written Examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes. 50% of the qualification. 100 marks in total.

• 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

Chemistry Paper 2-Written Examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes. 50% of the qualification. 100 marks in total.

• 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

Physics Paper 1-Written Examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes. 50% of the qualification. 100 marks in total.

• 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

Physics Paper 2-Written Examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes. 50% of the qualification. 100 marks in total.

• 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

Biology, Chemistry and Physics ‘A’ Level are offered to students in Year 12 & 13, following the Edexcel syllabus. A-level sciences are rigorous courses that turn aspiring scientists into experienced scientists. The courses  cover a wide range of topics within each subject and go into each in depth to ensure a sound understanding of the underpinning principles. Students will also be assessed throughout the year on their practical endorsement also known as CPAC. Students are assessed during the practical and a marked write-up of the practical. Similarly to GCSE, these practicals are also assessed in exams at the end of the 2-year course; however, the skills required to write about the practicals are of a  higher level.

Biology: Biologists study the living world. Students will have the chance to learn about and understand key contemporary issues and topics such as DNA, fingerprinting, genetic engineering and some of the latest advances in medicine and biotechnology. Biology is a popular but challenging subject which requires a wide range of reading around the subject. The course content covers the circulatory system and health risks, genetics and health, genome biology, biodiversity and ecology, photosynthesis, the immune system, physiological adaptation and the nervous system.

Chemistry: As the study of materials, their properties and how they are made, chemistry represents a discipline that impacts on all of our lives in numerous ways. It is essential for a good understanding of other science subjects such as zoology, medicine and veterinary science. Chemistry is concerned with the physical and chemical properties of molecules and their composition, structure and synthesis in the context of contemporary life. Chemistry is a challenging subject that tests your abstract understanding, yet is becoming increasingly popular, especially for the further study of Phamacology. The course content covers inorganic, organic and physical chemistry, encompassing: atomic structure, bonding, redox, the chemistry of group 2/7, organic chemistry, analytical techniques, energetics, kinetics, equilibria, acids/bases and transition metals.

Physics: Any physicist will tell you that physics is the subject upon which all the other sciences rely for a true understanding of the universe. It is the basis upon which areas like engineering depend. There is a strong mathematical content to studying physics A level: students are strongly advised to take A level mathematics with this course. The course content covers a mixture of classical and modern physics: mechanics, electrical circuits and components, fields (electric, magnetic and gravitational), materials, nuclear and particle physics, the quantum theory of light, oscillations and astrophysics.

Biology A: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/biology-a/2015/specification-and-sample-assessment-materials/9781446930885_GCE2015_A_BioA_spec.pdf

Chemistry: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Chemistry/2015/Specification%20and%20sample%20assessments/A_level_Chemistry_2015_Specification.pdf

Physics: https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/A%20Level/Physics/2015/Specification%20and%20sample%20assessments/PearsonEdexcel-Alevel-Physics-Spec.pdf