Science

Years 7&8

In years 7 and 8, the Science department teach Science through “10 Big Ideas”. This forms part of the AQA Five Year Science programme. It introduces students to the key ideas that they will need to cover as building blocks for the GCSE

The 10 Big Ideas are:

  1. Forces

  2. Electromagnetism

  3. Energy

  4. Waves

  5. Matter

  6. Reactions

  7. Earth

  8. Organism

  9. Ecosystems

  10. Genes

Each ‘big idea’ topic contains four smaller topics that build in complexity. Students can start with the simple and concrete topics before moving on to the more abstract ones. For example, within the big idea of ‘Waves’ students would cover ‘Sound’ and ‘Light’ before moving on to ‘Wave effects’ and ‘Wave properties’.

The lessons are based around the “Activate” Scheme produced by Oxford publishing. All students will have access to the online textbook and other resources through Kerboodle which they can use to supplement their classroom learning.

There is an emphasis on the use of practical work to promote the broader skills involved in Scientific Enquiry.

KS3 Science Specification https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/ks3

 

Years 9-11

In years 9-11 all students will either study the Combined Science (Trilogy) course or the Separate Sciences of Biology, Chemistry and Physics offered by AQA.

The Combined Science course covers aspects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics and is worth 2 GCSEs. It is examined in six 1hr15 minute papers.

The Separate Science courses are worth one GCSE each and are assessed in two 1hr45minute papers per GCSE.

Grades for both routes are based on the terminal papers in year 11. There are a number of set Required Practical tasks which can be examined in the papers.

Students will continue to have access to online textbooks an additional resources through Kerboodle.

Combined Science

Biology

  • 1. Cell biology

  • 2. Organisation

  • 3. Infection and response

  • 4. Bioenergetics

  • 5. Homeostasis and response

  • 6. Inheritance, variation and evolution

  • 7. Ecology

Chemistry

  • 8. Atomic structure and the periodic table

  • 9. Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter

  • 10. Quantitative chemistry

  • 11. Chemical changes

  • 12. Energy changes

  • 13. The rate and extent of chemical change

  • 14. Organic chemistry

  • 15. Chemical analysis

  • 16. Chemistry of the atmosphere

  • 17. Using resources

Physics

  • 18. Energy

  • 19. Electricity

  • 20. Particle model of matter

  • 21. Atomic structure

  • 22. Forces

  • 23. Waves

  • 24. Magnetism and electromagnetism

 

Separate Sciences

In addition to the above there are extra key ideas are of universal application, and these have been embedded throughout the subject content. They underpin many aspects of the science assessment.

KS4 Science Specification https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse