Science

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title:

Students begin by learning about health and safety in the lab before going on to develop their practical skills via the following topics:

Topics Include:

• Cells structure
• Cell specialisation
• Reproduction
• Atomic structure
• States of matter
• Forces
• Drag and friction
• Terminal velocity

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title:

Students build on the foundation of biology, chemistry and physics topics learnt in the first term by exploring the themes below:

Topics Include:

• Sex and Relationships
• Periodic Table
• Skills Lessons on drawing graphs and line of best fit
• Organ systems and diffusion
• Waves
• Comparison of sound and light

TERM 3

Unit(s) Title:

In this term students build on the waves topic from last term, as well as exploring the environment around them.

Topics Include:

• Electromagnetic spectrum
• Food chains and webs
• Ecological niches
• Competition
• Skills lesson on using scientific equipment including thermometers and sampling techniques
• Space

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title:

Year 8 starts with an exploration of healthy living, healthy diet, and the digestive system.

Topics Include:

• Enzymes
• The digestive system
• Healthy diet
• Introduction to collision theory
• Drugs and alcohol
• Skills lessons focusing on using scientific equipment and keyword misconceptions
• Chemical reactions
• Interpreting graphs
• Energy transfers
• Food and fuels

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title:

This term students continue to study key ideas as well as working on plenty of practical activities within the topics below.

Topics Include:

• Electricity
• Circuits and calculations
• Quantitative chemistry
• Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• Acids and alkalis

TERM 3

Unit(s) Title:

Students start to learn about different functions of the organs and the way the world has been formed.

Topics Include:

• Reactions of metals
• Skills lessons focussing on maths skills such as drawing a graph and line of best fit and using scientific equipment
• Sex and Relationships
• Human biology to include The Eye, kidney, lungs and skeleton
• Magnetism
• The rock cycle

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title:

Students cover B1 ‘Cell level systems’ before commencing their first chemistry unit; Particles.

Topics Include:

• Cell level systems
• Microscopy skills
• DNA
• Enzymes
• Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• Key Skills lessons focusing on Maths skills and keyword misconceptions
• Particles
• Elements, compounds and mixtures
• Sex and Relationships

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title:

Students learn their first GCSE Physics topic, ‘Matter’ before expanding on their Biology knowledge in B2 ‘scaling up’.

Topics Include:

• Forces – velocity calculations
• Acceleration
• Momentum
• Energy
• Mass vs weight
• Diffusion, osmosis and active transport
• Mitosis
• Stem cells
• Circulatory system
• Heart and blood
• Skills lesson focusing on drawing a graph and line of best fit
• Drugs and Alcohol

TERM 3

Unit(s) Title:

This half term students combine their second unit of Physics, ‘Forces’ with their third Biology unit; Organism level systems.

Topics Include:

• Transport of water in a plant
• Atomic theory
• Density
• Specific heat capacity
• Gas pressure
• The nervous system
• The endocrine system
• Homeostasis
• Skills lessons focusing on using scientific equipment including thermometers and sampling techniques

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title:

Students have plenty of opportunities to develop their maths skills in science as they cover the following chemistry and physics topics.

Topics Include:

• Review of B3 Organism level systems including the nervous system and endocrine system
• Chemical reactions
• Moles and mass
• Acids and alkalis
• Oxidation and reduction
• Electrolysis
• Electricity and magnetic fields
• Circuits

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title:

Topics covered this half term span cover the three science disciplines. 

Students start by exploring the world around them, before learning about trends in the Periodic Table and the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

Topics Include:

• Decay
• The water cycle
• The nitrogen cycle
• The carbon cycle
• Predicting reactions of group 0,1 and 7 elements
• Wave behaviour and wave speed
• Electromagnetic spectrum
• Ionising radiation
• Genes and inheritance

TERM 3

Unit(s) Title:

After concluding their work on inheritance and evolution, students learn about some of the industrial applications of chemistry and physics.

Topics Include:

• Natural selection and evolution
• Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions
• Use of catalysts
• Rate of reactions calculations
• Radioactivity
• Global challenges
• Monitoring and maintaining the environment

TERM 1

Unit(s) Title:

In year 11 students move on to ‘Global Challenges’ themes.  The science learnt surrounds solving current issues such as climate change, meeting global food requirements etc.

Topics Include:

• Revising for Biology, Chemistry and Physics Mock
• Chemical Reactions
• Symbols and balancing equations
• Formulae of common ions and ionic equations
• Testing gases
• Moles and mass
• Acids and alkalis and neutralisation
• Reacting metals and metal carbonates
• electrolysis

TERM 2

Unit(s) Title:

The two final half terms are dedicated to the consolidation and revision of the topics taught since year 9.

Subjects are revisited, and emphasis is given to exam past paper practice and experience of required practicals.

Topics include:

• Monitoring and maintaining the environment
• Selective breeding and genetic engineering
• Disease, immunity and vaccination
• Stem cells and gene technology
• Extracting metals
• Crude oil
• The earth’s atmosphere
• Energy conservation and sources
• Conservation of energy
• Sources of energy transfers
• Power and efficiency
• Stopping distances and acceleration
• Electrical wiring
• Revise for Biology, Physics and Chemistry Mock

TERM 3

Topics Include:

• Skills based lessons including interpreting data, drawing graphs, maths skills and key words.
• Practical skill lessons for Biology, Chemistry and Physics
• Revise for the Biology, Chemistry and Physics