top of page

Science

Key Stage 3

All of out students follow our version of the AQA 5 year plan.  While this is based on the National Curriculum for Science, having been written by the GCSE exam board, it ensures that students have mastered the scientific knowledge of the ten big ideas of science and also skills that they need before starting their GCSE course.

Students will cover the following topics.

Year 7

Cells and Movement; Variation and Reproduction; Particles & Separating Substances; Chemical Reactions; Energy Costs and Transfer; and Sound and Light.

Year 8

Interdependence, Plant Reproduction and Climate; Breathing and Digestion; Elements and the Periodic Table; Types of Chemical Reaction; Forces and Motion; and Circuits, Magnetism and Electromagnetism.

Year 9

Respiration and Photosynthesis; Evolution and Inheritance; Reaction and Earth Resources; and Heating Cooling and Pressure

Students in years 7, 8 and 9 study science for four lessons per week.


Key Stage 4

After completing their GCSE ready end key stage 3 exam in January, year 9 students will follow a transition course until the end of year 9. During this time, students will continue to have four periods of science lessons per week and will complete four GCSE modules:  Atomic Structure; Communicable Diseases; Treating and Preventing Diseases; and Energy Resources.

Science is compulsory during years 10 and 11, students will follow one of two AQA GCSE science courses. Most students will follow the AQA GCSE Science Trilogy Double Award – at traditional science course leading to two GCSEs in Science. Students can also use one of their options to instead take three separate science courses GCSEs in biology, physics and chemistry, all with the AQA exam board, (note that to fulfil National Curriculum requirements, students must study a balance of biology, physics and chemistry).

Students studying AQA Trilogy will have six periods of science per week and those studying separate sciences will have nine periods of science per week. All lessons are taught by qualified science specialist teachers.

Triple Sciences

GCSE Biology, GCSE Chemistry, GCSE Physics

How the course is assessed? 100% final examination

Exam board: AQA (8461), (8462), (8463)

Course Overview:

All three courses are linear, with exams at the end of the two years.  Each separate science subject has its own two exams which test subject content, scientific and mathematical skills.  Students are required to complete eight practicals for each subject during the two year course and are examined on these practicals in the final exams.

Studying the separate sciences means students will cover more content than on GCSE Combined Science Trilogy course.

Students will study the following topics:

GCSE Physics:

  1. Forces

  2. Energy

  3. Waves

  4. Electricity

  5. Magnetism and electromagnetism

  6. Particle model of matter

  7. Atomic structure

  8. Space physics

GCSE Biology:

  1. Cell biology

  2. Organisation

  3. Infection and response

  4. Bioenergetics

  5. Homeostasis and response

  6. Inheritance, variation and evolution

  7. Ecology

GCSE Chemistry:

  1. Atomic structure and the periodic table

  2. Bonding, structure and the properties of matter

  3. Quantitative chemistry

  4. Chemical changes

  5. Energy changes

  6. The rate and extent of chemical change

  7. Organic chemistry

  8. Chemical analysis

  9. Chemistry of the atmosphere

  10. Using resources

bottom of page