Science

Intent

Science is a key subject in the Academy. It develops thinking skills as well as a practical approach to problem solving. These skills are essential both in the workplace and for personal decision-making. Students develop skills across the key stages and are able to think independently, reason, solve problems and assess risk.

Knowledge and Skills

The aims of these qualifications are to encourage students to:

• Acquire a systematic body of scientific knowledge, and the skills needed to apply this in new and changing situations in a range of domestic, industrial and environmental contexts;

• Acquire an understanding of scientific ideas, how they develop, the factors which may affect their development and their power and limitations;

• Plan and carry out investigative tasks, considering and evaluating critically their own data and that obtained from other sources, and using ICT where appropriate;

• Use electronic (internet, CD ROMs, databases, simulations, etc.) and/or more traditional sources or information (books, magazines, leaflets, etc.) to research and plan an investigation;

• Select, organise and present information clearly and logically, using appropriate scientific terms and conventions, and using ICT where appropriate;

• Interpret and evaluate scientific data.

Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 3

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Key Stage 4

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Career Opportunities in Science

• Provides opportunities for students who may wish to be employed in the Science industry or organisations that use science, to develop knowledge and skills in specific sciences;

• Provides a good progression route to more advanced qualifications.

Year 7 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Biology Microscopes, Cells, Tissues organs	In this unit students will learn how we use microscopes to observe Cells the building block of all living things.	Excellent students will be able to compare the similarities and differences of different types of cells and how they are adapted to the function they perform.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and end of unit assessment. Students will also be assed on the use of microscopes and preparing samples to observe.
Chemistry The particle model and change of state. Mixtures and how we separate them	This unit develops an understanding of the different properties of solids, liquids and gases, and how energy is involved in this change. In this unit students will be looking into the different ways substances can be mixed, and the different techniques scientists can use to separate mixtures. Students will continue to develop their experimental skills.	Excellent students will be able to explain and model what is happening to the particles and their arrangement as they change between the 3 states of matter. Excellent work will use the correct terminology in a range of contexts and students will be able to successfully, and safely, select and use the various techniques to separate various mixtures.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and end of topic assessment. Practically pupils will be assessed modelling the=is change in the classroom. Practical skills will be assessed based on accuracy and safety.
Physics Energy	This unit uses a theme park to introduce the idea that stores of energy are needed to make most things happen. It looks at food, energy stores and transfers, and energy resources in terms of non-renewable fuels and renewable resources.	Excellent students will be able to identify energy stores and transfers that take place in a range of different contexts. Eg Different fuel types powering cars today.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and end of unit assessment.

Year 8 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Biology Ecosystems Food and Nutrition	During this unit students will explore the links between the various organisms within different ecosystems as well as the effect human activity has on the environment. This unit looks at the main components in the human diet and why they are needed. The importance of the digestive system, introducing how enzymes help this process.	Excellent work will use the correct terminology in a range of contexts and students will be able to successfully construct food webs and use these to explain the effects of adding or removing species from an ecosystem. Excellent work will identify nutrient deficiencies from diseases and foods that should be included in the diet to prevent them. Describing the journey of food through the digestive system.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and a summative test. Practical work in the field and practically testing foods for nutrients.
Chemistry Atoms, Elements, Molecules and the periodic table	During this unit students will explore that our earth its atmosphere and indeed the universe contain a mixture of materials with different properties and about the periodic table where these materials are grouped.	Excellent work will demonstrate the correct terminology in a range of contexts, with pupils being able to define the key words and start to use the periodic table and writing word and symbol equations.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and summative tests.
Physics Waves, Sound and light	This unit looks at how sounds are made, transmitted and detected, some uses of sound and compares sound waves with waves on the surface of water. to consider how light travels and what happens when it meets an object.	Excellent students will be able to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between light and sound their properties and how they travel.	Assessments will be through knowledge retrieval and summative testes concluding and evaluating practical work.

Year 9 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?

What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?

What will excellence look like?

How will this be assessed?

In Biology: Cells and specialised cells

The role and function of enzymes

In this unit students will learn history and developments of the microscope; differences between different cell types and how they are adapted to that job.

How Enzymes work and how they help biological reactions

Students will be able to They will also be able to clearly and concisely detail the differences between different types of cells, and how this impacts the role of the cell.

Students will be able to interpret experimental data to draw conclusions regarding the ideal conditions of different enzymes and what can affect them.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval. Students will also be assessed on their ability to prepare cell slides and use a microscope to view them.

In Chemistry: Particle model

Methods of separating and purifying substances

In this unit students will learn about the three states of matter; how the particles are arranged and how they move in a solid, liquid and gas. They will learn about what happens during changes of state.

In this unit students will learn about the differences between a pure substance and a mixture, and the different ways that mixtures can be separated. They will learn about the processes of distillation and chromatography and how water can be treated and purified to make it drinkable.

Excellent work will use include a detailed method to describe the processes of distillation and chromatography.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, and knowledge retrieval.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions. Students will also be assessed on their ability to complete practical work in a safe and competent manor.

In Physics: Conservation of Energy

Motion

Students will learn ways in which energy can be transferred and stored, how to reduce energy transfers, and the renewable and non-renewable resources we use in everyday life.

Students will learn how to categorise moving and stationary objects with size and direction. Hoe to measure speed and acceleration.

Excellent students will be able to suggest ways to reduce wasted energy in a range of different contexts understanding and to evaluate the pros and cons of different renewable and non-renewable energy resources.

Excellent students will be able to identify if objects are vectors or scalars.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and a summative test.

Pupils will also be assessed on their ability to plan, collect and conclude results in practical situations to calculate speed and acceleration

Year 10 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?	What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?	What will excellence look like?	How will this be assessed?
Biology: Genetics Natural selection and Genetic modification	In this unit students will learn about the production of sex cells through meiosis; the structure of DNA; mutations and genetic variation; and the inheritance of characteristics within families. In this unit students will learn about the Darwin's theory of evolution; how we investigate evolution; classification of organisms; selective breeding; and genetic modification	Excellent work will show students interpreting being able to draw links between the phenotype and the genotype. Students will be able to predict the genotype of parents from the characteristics of their offspring, as well as the probability of certain characteristics being shown in the offspring. Students will be able to correctly use key words in their discussions of evolution and related concepts. Students will also be able to discuss the various ways in which organisms are changed, both natural and manmade.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions. Students will also be assessed on their practical skills through the extraction of DNA. Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.
Chemistry: Ionic, Covalent and metallic bonding and their properties Acids and Alkalis	In this unit students will learn about how elements combine during ionic bonding, covalent and metallic bonding and draw diagrams to represent this. They will learn how the interaction between positive and negative ions creates a lattice structure. They will learn how non-metals atoms can form both molecular structures. They will learn about the properties of the four types of structure: Simple covalent, giant covalent, ionic and metallic. In this unit student will learn about acids and Alkalis in everyday situations, how concentration affect the pH of an acid or an alkali, indicators that we use to determine if a substance is an acid or an alkali. How acids and alkalis are reacted to make salts.	Excellent students will be able to identify and draw accurate dot and cross diagrams to show ionic, covalent and metallic bonds. They will be able to how the lattice structure of giant ionic substances affects properties such as melting and boiling point. They will be able to explain the patterns and links between the physical properties and type of bond formed Excellent students will be able to identify if a substance is an acid or an alkali from different indicators that are use. Explain what products are made when acids react with different bases, and how to describe a neutralisation reaction.	Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions as well as in class demonstrating how these bond are formed with diagrams. Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions, practical abilities will also assessed.
Physics: Radioactivity	Students will learn more about the history and structure of an atom and will discover how radioactivity is produced when unstable atoms decay.	Excellent students will be able to show and interpret how an unstable atom decays, the hazards and health risks associated with this to humans and the environment.	Assessment will be through a range of formative and summative tests, and being able to describe practical's to identify the type of radiation being emitted and how the operator should remain safe.

Year 11 Combines Science Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?

What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?

What will excellence look like?

How will this be assessed?

Biology

Ecosystems and Material Cycles

Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis

In this unit students will learn how Living and non-living things interact within an ecosystem, and the impact human activity can have on this.

In this unit students will learn about the endocrine glands; transport of hormones around the body; control of blood sugar and diabetes; the effects of hormones; and the negative feedback mechanism.

Excellent students will be able to use the correct terminology in a range of different contexts apply the knowledge such as how a particular pollutant or environmental factor will influence the organisms in an area.

Excellent students will be able to use the correct terminology in a range of different contexts to apply the knowledge such as how a our body responds after we eat a meal to store glucose and how we then release that glucose when we need it. How hormones are used in contraception to prevent pregnancy or to assist couples struggling to conceive.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions. Students will also be assed collecting and interpreting data in the field.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.

Chemistry

Groups in the periodic table

In this unit, students will learn about the properties and uses of elements in group 1, 7 and 0. They will describe trends in groups 1 and 7 such as reactivity and melting and boiling points. They will describe observations and write equations for how the elements in these groups react with other substances, such as how group 1 elements react with water.

Excellent work will be demonstrated by pupils demonstrating the trends of reactivity within group 1 and 7 and why they are so reactive and compare that to group 0 that are unreactive. They will be able to predict displacement reactions of Group 7 compounds.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.

Physics

Electricity and circuits

Energy- Forces doing work and their effects

Students will learn how electricity is supplied to hospitals, homes and factories, and about its effects and uses in many different types of circuits and electrical safety features within the home.

In this unit students will learn more about how forces can transfer energy from one form to another and how this can be measured.

Excellent work will be demonstrated by pupils showing how current, voltage and resistance changes in different types of circuits and how resistance changes with different components in the circuit.

Excellent work will show calculations set out correctly and answers will be expressed with the correct scientific unit in a range of different scenarios.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions. Pupils will also be assessed by their ability to build circuits and collect results from the circuits they have constructed.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.

Year 11 Triple Science Curriculum Overview

What are we learning?

What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain?

What will excellence look like?

How will this be assessed?

Biology

Ecosystems and Material Cycles

Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis

Plants and their hormones

In this unit students will learn how Living and non-living things interact within an ecosystem, and the impact human activity can have on this.

In this unit students will learn about the endocrine glands; transport of hormones around the body; control of blood sugar and diabetes; body temperature and water control by the kidneys.

In this unit student will learn how plant hormones help the plants to respond to their surroundings and how we use them for our benefit.

Excellent student will be able to use the correct terminology and apply their knowledge about plants and how they respond in different environmental conditions to ripen fruit or as a weedkiller.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions. Students will also be assed collecting and interpreting data in the field.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions. Students will also be assessed to design and carry out a class practical to show how plants use hormones to respond to their surroundings.

Chemistry

Groups in the periodic table

Quantitative analysis

Application of materials based on their properties

In this unit students will learn about how to test and identify metal ions and ammonia gas.

In this topic students will be looking at a range of materials and their properties and linking these physical properties to their uses.

Excellent students will be able to describe analytical tests to use when presented with a suspected ion.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions. Practically carrying out tests to identify a range of ions.

Physics

Electricity and circuits

Energy- Forces doing work and their effects

Students will learn how electricity is supplied to hospitals, homes and factories, and about its effects and uses in many different types of circuits and electrical safety features within the home. How objects can become charged with static electricity and the uses and dangers of objects that can become charged.

In this unit students will learn more about how forces can transfer energy from one form to another and how this can be measured.

Excellent work will be demonstrated by pupils showing how current, voltage and resistance changes in different types of circuits and how resistance changes with different components in the circuit. Comparing the uses and dangers of static electricity.

Excellent work will show calculations set out correctly and answers will be expressed with the correct scientific unit in a range of different scenarios.

Assessment will be through multiple choice questions, knowledge retrieval and past GCSE exam questions.