Curriculum : Science at Key Stage 3 & 4

Science at KS3 (years 7-9)
Science is the study of the nature of the universe. KS3 Science lessons at The Grey Coat Hospital are taught following the QCA scheme of work (www.qca.org.uk). Biology, Chemistry and Physics are taught together. A wide range of experiments will take place and over the three years, girls will study the following topics:

Year 7
Cells; Reproduction; Environment and feeding relationships; Variation and classification; Acids and alkalis; Simple chemical reactions; Particle model of solids; Liquids and gases; Solutions; Energy sources; Electrical circuits; Forces and their effects; Solar System and beyond.

Year 8
Food and Digestion; Respiration; Microbes and disease; Ecological relationships; Atoms and elements; Compounds and mixtures; Rocks and weathering; Rock cycles; Heating and cooling; Magnets and electromagnets; Light; Sound and hearing.

Year 9
Inheritance and selection; Fit and healthy; Plants and photosynthesis; Plants for food; Reactions of metals and compounds; Patterns of reactivity; Environmental Chemistry; Using Chemistry; Energy and electricity; Gravity and space; Speeding up; Pressure and moments; Investigating scientific questions.

KS3 Science and Student Progress
In Year 7, in addition to their core lessons, students will have the opportunity to improve their analysing and problem-solving skills in CASE lessons (Cognitive Acceleration in Science Education, developed by Kings College London).

In Years 7 and 8 students remain in mixed ability classes and will take an internal exam to assess their progress. In Year 9 students will be split into either a higher ability or mixed ability class. At the end of this year they will sit the national KS3 SATS examination.

All girls will go on to study Science at GCSE in Years 10 and 11. The results from the SATS taken in Year 9 indicate what group (mixed or higher ability) that a student will be placed in.

Science Club
One day a week after school we run a science club which involves fun scientific experiments that we are unable to do in lessons that should lead to further understanding. It will leads towards the BA CREST (Creativity in Science and Technology) award.

For further details regarding the BA CREST award go to:
http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/ResourcesforLearning/BACRESTAwards/

Science Trips at KS3
• Science Museum at South Kensington
• Botanical Gardens at Kew

Science at KS4 (GCSE) - OCR 21st Century Science

Key Dates for module exams:
Unit 1 – January 16^th 2007 (BTEC PE group on May 27^th, 2007)
Unit 2 – June 2007
Unit 3 – June 2007 (BTEC PE group in 2008)
Unit 4 – June 2007 (BTEC PE group in 2008)

GCSE Science has an emphasis on scientific literacy - the knowledge and understanding that students need to make sense of the science they will meet in their everyday lives. Through a wide range of activities, students are enabled to:

Recognise the impact of science and technology on everyday life
Take informed personal decisions about issues that involve science
Understand the key points of media reports, and reflect on the information included (or omitted) from these reports and other sources of information.

The content of the new courses is designed to offer all students the chance to develop their scientific literacy, which is so important in a world where science and technology play such a key role.

Whether students want to progress a career in science, train to be a great scientist of the future or just develop their skills and knowledge, there is something for all students.

Tried and tested with great results - OCR’s new science GCSEs have been piloted in over 70 schools in the UK with excellent feedback:–

“Students will gain a more positive image of science because of this course as they can see why it’s relevant in today’s society. I think that the course has also revitalised the teachers as well – it’s really exciting to see both the staff and students more interested and motivated in what they are teaching and learning.” Leonie Lisle, Assistant Team Leader for Science, Lyndon School, Solihull

GCSE Science Teaching modules

B1 - You and your genes

·   What are genes?

·   Why are families alike but not identical?

·   How should genetic information be used?

·   What is cloning?

C1 - Air quality

·       Making sense of air pollution data

·       Where do pollutants come from?

·       Is air pollution harmful to me?

·       How can we improve air quality?

P1 - The Earth in the Universe

·      What do we know about the Earth and Space?

·      Can we predict earthquakes?

·      Could we be destroyed by an asteroid?

·      What do we know about the Universe?

B2 - Keeping healthy

·   How do we resist infection?

·   What are vaccines; how do they work?

·   Why do antibiotics become less effective?

·   How are new drugs developed and tested?

·   What factors increase the risk of heart disease?

C2 - Material choices

·     What are the properties of materials?

·     Why is crude oil important as a source of plastics and fibres?

·     Why do we want to know the molecular structure of materials?

·     What is Life Cycle Assessment?

P2 - Radiation and life

·      What is radiation?

·      Is it safe to sunbathe or use mobile phones?

·      Which radiations cause harm to living tissues and why?

·      How does radiation make life on Earth possible?

B3 - Life on Earth

·   How did life on Earth begin?

·   How have explanations of evolution been developed?

·   How is the nervous system organised?

·   How did humans evolve?

·   Why do some species become extinct and does it matter?

C3 - Food matters

·     What is the difference between intensive and organic farming?

·     Why are chemicals added to food?

·     How do we make sure that the chemicals in food are not harmful to health?

·     Why does what we eat affect our health?

P3 - Radioactive materials

·      What does radioactive mean?

·      How can radioactive materials be used safely?

·      How should electricity be generated?

·      What should be done with nuclear waste?

Assessment

Three unit exams, each incorporating objective questions on three teaching modules, set and marked by OCR.
An “Ideas in Context” examination, based on pre-release material, set and marked by OCR.
A Skills Assessment Unit, internally marked and moderated by OCR.
The final qualification grade awarded will be independent of tier and based on the total UMS score.

External Unit

Exam to test

B1, C1, P1

External Unit

Exam to test

B2, C2, P2

External Unit

Exam to test

B3, C3, P3

Ideas in Context

paper, based on

pre-release

material

Skills Assessment Unit: Case Study and

Data Analysis task

40 minutes 16.7%

45 minutes 16.7%

Case Study 20% Data Analysis 13.3%