Science
Students follow the national curriculum covering a broad range of scientific concepts, through the three specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. The study of Science supports students to adopt a critical, questioning frame of mind in order to understand the workings of Science and how it shapes their lives.
Students are grouped according to ability into three sets. For the first two years of KS3, all sets follow the Smart Science two year programme of study which is compliant with the new KS3 Science National Curriculum.
Students who are able to complete the programme within the two year plan are then able to move onto the KS4 AQA Entry Level Science qualification in Year 9, with the aim of them progressing onto the single combined Science GCSE in Year 11.
Sets which need more time to consolidate a greater understanding of the KS3 programme, continue with the topics until the end of year 9 and will start an AQA Entry Level Science in year 10, these students will have the full two years to complete this programme at KS4.
Students on the Smart Science course have regular end of topic tests and are given a clear understanding of how to progress through to a higher level of science application. Topics covered include: The Skeleton, The Nature of Particles, States of Matter, Motion of Foreces, Space Physics, Genetics and Inheritance and Energy Transfer.
| Key Stage 3 | Autumn | Spring | Summer |
| US1 | *Parts of the body *Senses *Materials *Acids & alkali |
*Electricity *Forces & motion |
*Variation *Food chains *Adaptation – animals and plants *Seasons *Cells |
| US2 | *Parts of the body & senses *Plants *Solution *Electricity |
*Matter *Forces and motion *Reproduction *Cells |
*Variation *Food chains *Atoms & elements *Light *Energy |
| US3 | *Parts of the body and the Senses *Cells *Materials *Acids and Alkalis |
*Electricity *Forces |
*Seasons *Plants *Adaptations: plants and animals |
| US4 | *Living systems *The particulate nature of matter *Forces and motion |
*Diet and health *Atoms, elements and compounds *Levers, moments and pressure |
*Genetics and evolution *Reactions *Electricity and electro-magnetism |
| US5 | *Diet and Health | *Photosynthesis, respiration and circulation *Reactions *Levers, moments and pressure |
*Genetics and evolution *Materials and everyday chemistry |
| US6 | *Human skeleton *Plants *Life cycles |
*Rocks & weathering *Earth and Beyond |
*Microbes *Drugs and medicine *Project |
| US7 | *Genetics and evolution *Reactions |
*Levers, moments & pressure *Start GCSE course |
*GCSE course (Biology) *Required Practical investigations |