Head of Faculty: Mrs S Bennett Jones
Vision of Subject
Our vision is to create a positive learning environment where all staff and students are passionate about the learning of Science and invest in this learning journey with focus, resilience and pride. As a result students make excellent progress and aspire to reach their future goals with enthusiasm and confidence.
KS3
Students study Science for 3 hours per week in KS3 and homework is set weekly.
Students are taught in sets based upon prior attainment.
We follow the AQA KS3 Scheme of work in Year’s 7 and 8 with 13 topics being covered in each year.
Year 9 follow our pre-GCSE Foundation course with 6 topics being covered throughout the year.
Throughout these topic students are also taught key investigative skills to improve their ability to analyse, enquire, solve and carry out mathematical techniques.
Each skill is assessed 3 times per year.
Students are formally assessed on their subject knowledge at the end of each term.
KS4
Most students follow the AQA Combined Science Trilogy course (8464) and will be awarded two grades 1-9.
Some students follow the AQA separate Science courses and will be awarded 3 separate grades for Biology (8461), Chemistry (8462) and Physics (8463).
In Year 11 combined science students are taught all 3 sciences by one teacher for 4 hours per week. The triple science students are taught all 3 sciences by one teacher for 7 hours per week.
In Year 10 all students have a specialist teacher for 2 hours per week in each science. Students are taught in sets based upon prior attainment and homework is set weekly. Extended writing assessment tasks are set approximately every 8 lessons and students are formally assessed on their subject knowledge at the end of each term.
Students are taught the following key skills:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
• scientific ideas
• scientific techniques and procedures - Apply knowledge and understanding of:
• scientific ideas
• scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures - Analyse information and ideas to:
• interpret and evaluate
• make judgements and draw conclusions
• develop and improve experimental procedures
Overview of the Science Curriculum
The topics students cover throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 are outlined in the table below:
| Year | Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
| 7 | Introduction to Science
|
Chemical Reactions (Chemistry)
Electricity and Magnetism (Physics)
|
Chemical Reactions (Chemistry)
Electricity and magnetism (Physics)
|
Cells and Reproduction (Biology)
|
Ecology (Biology)
|
Scientific investigation
|
| 8 | Body systems and drugs (Biology)
|
Rocks and climate change (Chemistry)
|
Rocks and climate change (Chemistry)
Light, forces and speed (Physics)
|
Waves, sound and space (Physics)
|
Particle model and transfer of heat energy (Physics)
Plants and respiration (Biology)
|
Plants and respiration (Biology)
Particle model and transfer of heat energy (Physics)
|
| 9 | Pre GCSE Biology 1: organ systems and functions.
|
Pre GCSE Biology 2: energy cycles and processes.
|
Pre GCSE Chemistry 1: reactions and equations.
|
Pre GCSE Chemistry 2: Acids and their reactions.
|
Pre GCSE physics 1: Heat transfer and light.
|
Pre GCSE physics 2: Electricity and forces
|
| 10 | B1 & B2
Cell biology Organisation |
B3 & B4
Infection & response Bioenergetics |
C1 & C2
Atomic structure & the periodic table Bonding, structure and the properties of matter |
C3 – C5
Quantitative chemistry Chemical changes Energy changes |
P1 & P2
Forces energy |
P3 & P4
Waves Electricity |
| 11 | Additional Biology units B4, B5, B6
Processes of life Growth & Development |
Additional Physics Units P4, P5, P6
Explaining Motion Electric circuits Radioactive materials |
Additional Chemistry Units C4, C5,, C6
Chemical patterns Chemicals of the natural environment Chemical synthesis |
Revision | Revision |
Links to GCSE Exam Board Specifications
The specification code for AQA GCSE Trilogy is 8464
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-trilogy-8464
The specification code for AQA GCSE Science Biology is 8461
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/biology-8461
The specification code for AQA GCSE Science Chemistry is 8462
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/chemistry-8462
The specification code for GCSE Science Physics is 8463
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/physics-8463
Additional Information
Include details of any extra-curricular activities including:
- Intervention sessions on Tuesday after school
- Revision sessions – during school holidays
- Homework support – every lunch time in Lab 3
Teaching Staff
| Mrs S Bennett Jones | Head of Faculty |
| Miss F Edgar | Deputy Head of Faculty |
| Mrs A Doughty | Lead Practitioner |
| Mr N Rooney | Science Teacher |
| Mrs R Tilston | Science Teacher |
| Ms Saly Giegas | Science Teacher |
| Ms J Sand | Science Teacher |