Science

The Science Department offers a progressive, diverse, high quality and challenging curriculum. We will also develop practical, vocabulary, numerical and investigative skills which will help them to explain the ever-changing world around us.

The Science Department use the online resource Kerboodle for homework and additional resources. Students are given their log ins in class and should check with their teacher if they have trouble logging in. Click here to access it.

Topics Studied

Year 7

Autumn

Cells and cell organisation
Particles and states of matter
Energy and power
Photosynthesis and feeding relationships

Spring

Acids and alkalis
Light and sound waves
Variation and adaptations
Periodic table

Summer

Electricity
How Science Works Skills
End of year Assessment
Space

Year 8

Autumn

Diffusion and digestion
Solutions
Forces
Photosynthesis

Spring

Properties of materials
Chemical reactions
Waves
Biodiversity & Species
Periodic table and Earth Structure

Summer

Magnets and electromagnets
How Science Works Skills
End of year Assessment
Recycling & atmosphere

Year 9

Autumn

Respiration, Gaseous exchange & circulation, body defences
Balancing equations, models of Atoms and molecular calculations
Electricity
Impact of human activities and cycles

Spring

Chemical reactions
Forces
Inheritance & reproduction
Periodic table and bonding

Summer

Heat transfers
How Science Works Skills
End of Year Assessment
Pre-GCSE topics

Key Stage Assessments

Key Stage 3 Assessments

There are three ways in which we will assess student progress.

The first is teacher judgment, which based on a holistic overview can supersede other forms of assessment. Teacher judgements will often be used to assess skills which we do not test for online and will take into account book work, written homework and standardised written assessments.

Some homework and skills will be assessed through our online learning platform: Kerboodle. This has a series of selected assessments on it designed to test student understanding of the selected topic. Test scores are feedback to students straight away. The scores will be reviewed by the class teacher and if a student underperforms then they will be given intervention support. It is highly important that these are all completed so do please encourage your son to complete any online homework or assessments they may have to do in a timely fashion.

Lastly, we carry out four written assessments throughout the year. This includes an end of year assessment which incorporates content that the boys have learnt throughout the year as well as testing their scientific skills. With linear assessment in public examinations at KS4, our last form of assessment is designed to mirror this and get boys in the habit of revising for and sitting exams that test a broad base of subject matter.

Key Stage 4

GCSE Biology - Year 10

  •  Cell Biology
  • Organisation
  •  Infection and response
  •  Bioenergetics

Assessment
Exams are all sat in the summer term of Year 11.

  • 2 exams
  • Each is 1 hour 45mins long
  • Each is worth 100marks (50%of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • Foundation and Higher Tier papers.
  • 1-9 Grading scale

Assessment Objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures
– 40%
– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and
procedures – 40%
– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions;
develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%
#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams.

How can I support my son with GCSE Biology?

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE Biology - Year 11

  • Homeostasis and response
  • Inheritance, variation, and evolution
  • Ecology

Assessment

Exams are all sat in the summer term of Year 11.

  • There are two exams
  • Each exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes long
  • Each is worth 100marks (50%of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • Foundation and Higher Tier papers.
  • 1-9 Grading scale

Assessment Objectives
– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures
– 40%
– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and
procedures – 40%
– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions;
develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%
#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams.

How can I support my son with GCSE Biology?

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE Chemistry - Year 10

  • Atomic structure and the periodic table
  • Bonding, structure and the properties of matter
  • Quantitative Chemistry
  • Chemical Changes
  • Energy Changes

Assessment

Exams are all sat in the summer term of Year 11.

  • There are two exams
  • Each exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes long
  • Each exam is worth 100 marks (50% of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • You can sit either a Foundation or a Higher Tier paper.
  • 1-9 Grading scale Assessment objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%

#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams

How can I support my son with GCSE Chemistry?

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up-to-date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE Chemistry - Year 11

  • The rate & extent of chemical change
  • Organic chemistry
  • Chemical analysis
  • Chemistry of the atmosphere
  • Using resources

Assessment

Exams are all sat in the summer term of Year 11.

  • There are two exams
  • Each exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes long
  • Each exam is worth 100 marks (50% of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • You can sit either a Foundation or a Higher Tier paper.
  • 1-9 Grading scale Assessment objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%

#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams

How can I support my son with GCSE Chemistry?

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE Physics - Year 10

  • Energy
  • Electricity
  • Particle model of matter
  • Atomic structure

Assessment

Exams are all sat in the summer term of Year 11.

  • 2 exams
  • Each is 1 hour and 45 minutes long
  • Each is worth 100 marks (50% of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • Foundation and Higher Tier papers.
  • 1-9 Grading scale

Assessment objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%

#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams

How can I support my son with GCSE Physics?

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE - Year 11

  • Forces
  • Waves
  • Magnetism and electromagnetism
  • Space Physics

Assessment

Exams are all sat in the summer term of Year 11.

  • 2 exams
  • Each is 1 hour and 45 minutes long
  • Each is worth 100 marks (50% of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • Foundation and Higher Tier papers.
  • 1-9 Grading scale

Assessment objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%

#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams

How can I support my son with GCSE Physics?

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE Science Trilogy (Combined Science) - Year 10

Autumn

Biology

  • Cell Biology
  • Organisation
  • Infection and response
  • Bioenergetics

Spring

Chemistry

  • Atomic structure & the periodic table
  • Bonding, structure & the properties of matter
  • Quantitative Chemistry
  • Chemical Changes
  • Energy Changes
  • The rate & extent of chemical change

Summer

Physics

  • Forces
  • Energy
  • Waves
  • Electricity

Assessment

  • 6 exams (2 biology, 2 chemistry, 2 physics) taking place at the end of Year 11
  • Each is 1 hour and 15 minutes long
  • Each is worth 70marks (16.7%of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • Foundation and Higher Tier papers.
  • 1-9 Grading scale (17points from 1-1 to 9-9)

Assessment objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%

#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams

How can I support my son with the Trilogy course? 

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school

GCSE Science Trilogy (Combined Science) - Year 11

Autumn

Biology

  • Homeostasis and response
  • Inheritance, variation, and evolution
  • Ecology

Spring

Chemistry

  • Organic chemistry
  • Chemical analysis
  • Chemistry of the atmosphere
  • Using resources

Summer

Physics

  • Magnetism and electromagnetism
  • Particle model of matter
  • Atomic structure

Assessment

  • 6 exams (2 biology, 2 chemistry, 2 physics) taking place at the end of Year 11
  • Each is 1 hour and 15 minutes long
  • Each is worth 70marks (16.7%of overall grade)
  • Questions can be multiple-choice, structured, closed, short answer and open response.
  • Foundation and Higher Tier papers.
  • 1-9 Grading scale (17points from 1-1 to 9-9)

Assessment objectives

– AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures – 40%

– AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures – 20%

#NB – There is no controlled assessment – practical skills will be developed within the lessons and examined in the paper exams

How can I support my son with the Trilogy course? 

  • Attendance to all lessons is compulsory
  • Students should be encouraged to do independent reading outside of the assigned homework
  • Ensure he is up to date with assignments and is meeting all deadlines set by the school