Science
Taught in: Year 7 - 11
Exam Board: AQA
MYP Criteria: A: Knowing and Understanding, B: Inquiring and Designing, C: Processing and Evaluating, D: Reflecting on the Impacts of Science
Exam Board: AQA
MYP Criteria: A: Knowing and Understanding, B: Inquiring and Designing, C: Processing and Evaluating, D: Reflecting on the Impacts of Science
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At Key Stage 3 students follow an in-house scheme of work which has been developed over several years. In both Years 7 and 8 students study 12 topics which allows the students to experience learning through a number of formats including regular practical work and investigatory activities.
Year 7 topics
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In year 8 the work of year 7 is built upon with another 12 topics.
Year 8 topics are:
- Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks
- Healthy Living
- Light
- Compounds and Mixtures
- The Solar System
- More Chemical Reactions
- Food and Nutrition
- Speed
- Sound
- Plants
- Magnets
- Environmental Chemistry
In year 9 students again build on the work from the previous years, and study another 8 topics.
Year 9 topics are:
- Forces
- Genetics
- Thermal Energy
- Reactivity
- Electricity 2
- Microbes
- Chemistry Revisited
- Human Physiology
These 8 topics are taught between September and Easter, and after that students start their GCSE courses.
Assessment in Key Stage 3 consists of a formal test which accompanies each of the topics. These are graded by National Curriculum levels and by Middle Years Program (MYP) criteria. The MYP criteria are also used to assess students work in class through their exercise books. The progress of students is constantly monitored through the data these assessments provide.
The MYP criteria are as follows:
Criterion A - Knowing and Understanding. This refers to the subject knowledge, or content of the course.
Criterion B - Inquiring and Designing. This refers to the students' ability to plan and execute practical and investigatory activities.
Criterion C - Processing and Evaluating. This refers to the students' ability to handle experimental and investigatory data, and draw conclusions based on data in a variety of forms.
Criterion D - Reflecting on the Impacts of Science. This refers to the students' ability to understand the application and implication of Science in the world today.
At Easter in Year 9 the students sit an exam based on the work they have done over the whole of Key Stage 3, and the results of this are used to inform the department with regards to suitable Key Stage 4 Courses.
The MYP criteria are as follows:
Criterion A - Knowing and Understanding. This refers to the subject knowledge, or content of the course.
Criterion B - Inquiring and Designing. This refers to the students' ability to plan and execute practical and investigatory activities.
Criterion C - Processing and Evaluating. This refers to the students' ability to handle experimental and investigatory data, and draw conclusions based on data in a variety of forms.
Criterion D - Reflecting on the Impacts of Science. This refers to the students' ability to understand the application and implication of Science in the world today.
At Easter in Year 9 the students sit an exam based on the work they have done over the whole of Key Stage 3, and the results of this are used to inform the department with regards to suitable Key Stage 4 Courses.
Years 10 and 11
At Key Stage 4 the department runs GCSE courses from the AQA exam board. All students start off in the end of year 9 with the Core A course. This consists of three units, one in Biology, one Chemistry and one Physics, and a practical exam called an ISA. Each of these are 25% of the final mark.
Students who show ability in Science can take the Core exam at the end of year 10, and can go on to do the Additional course in year 11. This then gives the students double award Science which is two GCSEs.
Further to this we also offer the Further Additional course to high ability students in year 11, which will result in them attaining three Science GCSEs.
Progress in Key Stage 4 is monitored regularly through GCSE based assessments, and again through the use of MYP grading criteria.
The MYP criteria are as follows:
Criterion A – Knowing and Understanding. This refers to the subject knowledge, or content of the course.
Criterion B – Inquiring and Designing. This refers to the student’s ability to plan and execute practical and investigatory activities.
Criterion C – Processing and Evaluating. This refers to the student’s ability handle experimental and investigatory data, and to draw conclusions based on data in a variety of forms.
Criterion D – Reflecting on the Impacts of Science – this refers to the student’s ability to understand the application and implication of Science in the world today.
At Key Stage 4 the department runs GCSE courses from the AQA exam board. All students start off in the end of year 9 with the Core A course. This consists of three units, one in Biology, one Chemistry and one Physics, and a practical exam called an ISA. Each of these are 25% of the final mark.
Students who show ability in Science can take the Core exam at the end of year 10, and can go on to do the Additional course in year 11. This then gives the students double award Science which is two GCSEs.
Further to this we also offer the Further Additional course to high ability students in year 11, which will result in them attaining three Science GCSEs.
Progress in Key Stage 4 is monitored regularly through GCSE based assessments, and again through the use of MYP grading criteria.
The MYP criteria are as follows:
Criterion A – Knowing and Understanding. This refers to the subject knowledge, or content of the course.
Criterion B – Inquiring and Designing. This refers to the student’s ability to plan and execute practical and investigatory activities.
Criterion C – Processing and Evaluating. This refers to the student’s ability handle experimental and investigatory data, and to draw conclusions based on data in a variety of forms.
Criterion D – Reflecting on the Impacts of Science – this refers to the student’s ability to understand the application and implication of Science in the world today.
