Science
Intent
We aim to provide students with skills and knowledge of the most important ideas in science in order for them to become science literate, so when faced with choices they can make decisions about what is best, for them and the planet, based on scientific fact and observable evidence.
We wish to instil our students with a love of science and an appreciation of how it affects the world around them, from disease and vaccinations to climate change and sustainability. We aim to provide them with the knowledge of the vast array of careers that are available that link to science and engineering.
We want to create the scientists of the future who have an inquiring mind and can design and carry out practical procedures, analyse and interpret evidence, moving forward our knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas and processes.
Science lessons will focus on core knowledge and skills with key concepts modelled, questioning for understanding and time given for independent practice. The curriculum has been carefully sequenced to allow for spaced retrieval and interleaving both within the separate sciences and across all the subjects. We have designed the curriculum to allow challenge for all with scaffolding included so that all pupils can engage and make progress in science.
The Learning Journey
Assessment Calendar
science assessment timetable for website 2.pdf
Reading List
By Year 11 a student of Science will have:
- Used their knowledge of cells and specialisation to explain the structure and functions of the circulatory system and the immune system.
- Applied knowledge of cells and transport to explain how organisms carry out photosynthesis and both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
- Developed an understanding of how the human body responds to stimuli, in terms of the nervous system and hormonal responses.
- Extended existing knowledge and understanding of organisms to explain how DNA and environmental factors influence characteristics.
- Explored the reasons why variation is important in organisms, and how variation can lead to the evolution of species.
- Applied knowledge of the functioning of biological systems to describe and explain the interactions between organisms and within ecosystems, including the impact of humans on the environment.
- Used their knowledge of atoms to understand how different atoms bond together and how this relates to the properties of different types of structures.
- Been introduced to the idea of organic chemistry, energy changes in reactions and how the reactivity of different metals is linked to the methods used to extract them.
- Looked at how the Earth’s resources are used and how to reduce our impact on the environment.
- Applied knowledge about chemical reactions to explore factors that affect the rate and yield of a reaction.
- Used their knowledge of properties of structure and the reactivity of metals to explain products of electrolysis.
- Developed their understanding of acids to be able to state products of neutralisation reactions and predict pH.
- Used maths to work out the quantities of different chemicals in a reaction and will have been introduced to the idea of the mole.
- Applied their understanding of forces to explain how they affect the motion and shape of bodies, including how the position and direction of forces affect the resultant force. Learned formulae and carried out calculations to quantify those changes.
(Triple students will also have applied this to moments and pressure.)
- Understood that using forces can cause a change in the energy stores of a system and calculated the changes using the formulae for work done and power, kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.
- Built on their understanding of current, p.d., and resistance in simple d.c. circuits to be able to explain the behaviour of common components and how energy is transferred in circuits.
- Compared the properties and use of a.c. mains electricity to that of low p.d. d.c. supplies and the safety features that are incorporated in houses.
- Continued the use of required practicals to identify the variables involved, the necessary measurement details and risk assessments required.
- Carried out more complex calculations using required formulae and conversion of units to be consistent with recognised systems.
- Built on their KS3 knowledge of magnets and magnetic materials to understand the differences between permanent, induce and electromagnets. Studied the fields produced by different types of magnets and how the interaction of fields can cause motion including calculation the size and direction of the forces involved. Triple students will also have applied these ideas to explain induction of p.d. in generators and transformers.
- Revisited their understanding of the behaviour of particles in the three states of matter. Triple students will extend this to explaining the changes of pressure in gases.
- Understood how evidence was used to develop models of atomic structure.
- Studied the results of unstable atoms decaying and explained the properties of the different types of nuclear radiation. Triple students will have applied their understanding to explain radioactive hazards and appreciate that half-life is a measure how long radioactive substances remain active. They will also have explained the uses of nuclear radiation and the processes of fission and fusion.
- Developed their understanding of the properties of waves from KS3 and have defined, measured and calculated key values. They will also have applied their understanding to explain the properties and uses of electromagnetic waves. Triple students will also study how waves are used for detection and explorations and how reflection and refraction are used in optical devises including lenses.
- Triple students will have applied their knowledge and understanding from other areas of the specification to describe and explain the solar system, the life cycle of stars and the evidence underlying the Big Bang model of the Universe.
- Completed the required practicals and practised related exam styles questions including analysing and improving on given methods, identifying sources of errors and calculating uncertainty values.
- Had opportunities to practise a range of mathematical calculations set in unfamiliar contexts.
By Year 13 a student of Biology will have:
- Built upon the basic genetics learnt in Year 12 to be able to explain the results of dihybrid crosses, including those where sex-linkage, codominance, multiple alleles and epistasis are involved.
- Applied knowledge of genetics to whole populations, explaining the concepts of evolution and speciation in terms of alleles.
- Looked in more depth at the biological reactions involved in photosynthesis and in aerobic and anaerobic respiration, applying this knowledge to be able to explain data obtained during experiments.
- Studied how energy and nutrients are transferred within ecosystems.
- Investigated taxes, kineses and tropisms as responses to stimuli in different organisms, and further studied the structure and function of the human nervous system to explain how we respond to a range of stimuli.
- Built upon existing knowledge of homeostatic mechanisms in mammals to explain how internal conditions are maintained.
- Studied the structure and function of skeletal muscles to explain how movement occurs.
- Learnt about the factors controlling gene expression, the experimental techniques used to study the genome of humans and other organisms and the importance of developments in genetic technologies.
- Refined investigative and practical skills through the use of a range of apparatus and experimental techniques whilst completing the remaining required practical activities.
- Continued to use appropriate mathematical processes and conventions, including statistical tests, in a range of novel contexts.
- Made links between different topic areas in order to develop a synoptic approach to Biology and explain how organisms function within their ecosystems.
- Further developed examination technique, applying knowledge and understanding of biological processes and phenomena in a range of unfamiliar contexts.
By Year 13 a student of Chemistry will have:
- Built on their knowledge of acids at KS4 and used calculations to be able to calculate pH, select appropriate indicators and understand buffer solutions.
- Used their knowledge of ionic structure from KS4 and yr12 to look at Born-Haber cycles and enthalpy changes. Then using this knowledge and their new understanding of entropy to work out the feasibility of a reaction.
- Developed a greater understanding of transition metal properties, including how their ability to have variable oxidation states and their resultant colour change, can be used in analytical techniques.
- Been introduced to aromatic chemistry and the reactions of benzene, including reaction mechanisms and synthetic routes.
- Looked in more detail at carbonyl chemistry and the production of polymers, developing a more detailed map of synthetic routes.
- Used combined techniques learnt in yr12 and NMR spectroscopy to identify organic compounds.
By Year 13 a student of Physics will have:
- Built on their understanding of forces and motion to be able explain circular motion and calculate key values.
- Combined their knowledge and understanding of forces, motion and energy to describe and explain simple harmonic motion and the effects of damping and resonance.
- Understand how the application of Newton’s laws of motion lead to the ability to describe and calculate values for the motion of molecules and their effects on pressure and temperature in ideal gases.
- Developed their understanding of the internal energy of substances and the effect that doing work or heating have to lead to the first law of thermodynamics.
- Revisited their work on the flow of charge and transfer of energy in circuits to explain and quantify the function of capacitors.
- Examined the similarities and differences between electrostatic and gravitational fields and understood the concepts of potential and potential energy.
- Extended their understanding of magnetic fields to explain and quantify the forces experienced by charges moving in the field.
- Defined magnetic flux and used the laws of Faraday and Lenz to determine the emf induced in conductors moving in magnetic fields.
- Combined their understanding of fields, forces and circular motion to lead to Kepler’s laws to describe and explain planetary motion.
- Used their knowledge of waves and the Doppler relationship to calculate the radial and orbital speeds of bodies. Explained how the measurement of orbital speeds in galaxies implies the existence of dark matter and how Hubble’s law relates radial velocities to distance leading to the age of the universe.
- Extended their understanding of particles to explain the spontaneous nature of nuclear decay and the nature of nuclear radiation. Used their knowledge of exponential decay and half-life to describe and quantify changes in number of nuclei and activity.
- Developed their understanding of the relationship between mass and energy and use the equation E = mc2 to quantify energy changes in fission and fusion reactions.
- Combined and applied their understanding of the concepts learned throughout the course to explain the imaging techniques in medical physics. These include X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, PET and the use of radionuclides.
- Completed the required practicals and practised related exam styles questions including analysing and improving on given methods, identifying sources of errors and calculating uncertainty values.
- Had opportunities to practise a range of mathematical calculations set in unfamiliar contexts.