Science

At Key Stage 3 students follow schemes of learning based on the National Curriculum. The schemes are designed to give a sound foundation of scientific knowledge, understanding and literacy whilst teaching them the skills required to be successful scientists.  

Biology

The main topics cover life processes in plants and animals, reproductive cycles, variation, health and disease and behaviour. Students are encouraged to think scientifically, critically analyse and evaluate data and look at the ethical and moral implications of using and applying science.

Chemistry

The focus is on the basic building blocks of matter, chemical reactions and reactivity and practical work to develop key skills further.

Physics

The focus is on establishing the key foundations of what forces are, how they work, what is meant by energy, how energy transfers occur in electrical and mechanical situations, and our place in the Solar System.

Students in Year 9 will start their GCSEs in the form of a foundation curriculum that covers small sections of the specification common to both AQA Trilogy and AQA Triple sciences across Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Students in Y9 will be assessed through a series of checkpoints that are designed to evaluate progress each half term.  Y7 and 8 will complete multiple choice questions on the Educake platform at the end of each small topic. KS3 students will also have three main assessments, one each term in accordance with the Academy assessment calendar. This is a written assessment containing a mixture of multiple choice, short answer, calculations and extended response questions.

GCSE  Trilogy Combined Science – Exam Board AQA

For the GCSE course, 6 exam papers are in two tiers-Higher Tier and Foundation and are taken at the end of Y11. Students receive 2 GCSE grades so each paper is a third of a grade. Students will also carry out a series of subject specific practical to help develop their scientific enquiry.

A student will be entered for the tier they will achieve their best grade in based on their performance across assessments.         

GCSE Triple Award Science – Exam Board AQA

Students who choose the Triple Science option gain 3 separate GCSE’s in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. 

2 papers are in two tiers-Higher Tier and Foundation taken at the end of Y11 for each science discipline, so each paper is 50% of that grade.

Students will also carry out a series of subject specific practicals to help develop their scientific enquiry.

Tiers may be different in each subject; a student will be entered for the tier they will achieve their best grade in based on their performance across assessments.