Our purpose is to provide a high-quality science education, which lays the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  This will be achieved by building up a body of key knowledge and concepts, that will encourage students to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.

Through building up a body of key foundational knowledge and concepts, students will be encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation and develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.

Students will be encouraged to understand how science can be used to explain what is occurring, predict how things will behave, and analyse causes.

Knowledge and understanding

Teachers will use different contexts to maximise students’ engagement with and motivation to study science. It will be taught in ways that ensure students have the knowledge to enable them to develop curiosity about the natural world, insight into working scientifically, and appreciation of the relevance of science to their everyday lives, so that students:

• Develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics
• Develop understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science, through different types of scientific enquiry that help them to answer scientific questions about the world around them
• Develop and learn to apply observational, practical, modelling, enquiry, problem-solving skills and mathematical skills, both in the laboratory, in the field and in other environments
• Develop their ability to evaluate claims based on science through critical analysis of the methodology, evidence and conclusions, both qualitatively and quantitatively
• Develop the use of common language and also the use of technical terminology. They will build up an extended specialist vocabulary.
• Develop the ability to apply their mathematical knowledge to their understanding of science, including collecting, presenting and analysing data.
• Develop their understanding of the social and economic implications of science
• Encouraged to relate scientific explanations to phenomena in the world around them and start to use modelling and abstract ideas to develop and evaluate explanations.
• Develop their ability to see the connections between science subject areas and become aware of some of the big ideas underpinning scientific knowledge and understanding.

Topics Covered:

• Structure and function of cells, tissues, organs and organ systems.
• Reproduction in plants and animals
• Particle model and their behaviour
• Elements, atoms, compounds and chemical reactions
• Forces and their effect
• Waves (including sound and light)

Key Knowledge and Skills:

• To know that the fundamental units of all living organisms are cells.
• The hierarchical organisation of living organisms.
• The structure and function of organ systems, including reproductive system and changes during puberty.
• The process of diffusion
• Describe what atoms are and the properties of elements. 
• Know what a compound, how to identify a reaction and write simple chemical names for reactants and products.
• Classify some simple reactions and predict the products.
• Identify different forces and describe their effect.
• State the law of reflection and know how waves can be reflected and refracted.
• Use tier 3 scientific vocabulary and extended reading.
• Use equations and complete calculations.
• Measure angles
• Make predictions, analyse data (including graphing), draw conclusions and evaluate methods and data.
• Use equipment and carry out practical activities.
• Write word and symbol equations.

Assessment:

• Progress tasks in lessons
• VIP recall quizzes in class
• A4P tasks in lessons
• End or topic exams
• Multi topic TSAT exams

Homework:

• VIP questions
• Keyword / definition-based tasks
• Exam revision prior to end of topic or TSAT exam

Links to Careers and Preparation for Life in Modern Britain:

• Experiencing fascination, awe and wonder
• Developing and expressing personal views or values
• Mutual respect
• Developing personal qualities and using social skills
• Participating, cooperating and resolving conflicts

Topics Covered:

• Acids, alkalis and neutralisation
• Space and the solar system
• Health and lifestyle (including effect of drugs, smoking and alcohol on the body)
• Ecosystems and the adaptation of organisms to their environment
• The periodic table and reactions of group 1,7 and 0. As well as the reactions of metals and acids.
• Electricity, magnetism and energy

Key Knowledge and Skills:

• The objects that can be seen in the night sky and the arrangement and properties of planets in the solar system.
• What the pH scale is
• The nutrients needed for a healthy diet and the consequence of malnutrition.
• Use of practicals to identify protein, lipids and carbohydrates in food.
• The processes of photosynthesis and respiration and their word equations.
• How organisms are adapted to their environment and how they can change over generations through the mechanism of natural selection. 
• Use of the periodic table to identify metals and non-metals and to make predictions about how an element will react.
• Use tier 3 scientific vocabulary and extended reading.
• Use equations and complete calculations.
• Measure angles
• Make predictions, analyse data (including graphing), draw conclusions and evaluate methods and data.
• Use equipment and carry out practical activities.
• Write word and symbol equations.
• How to separate mixtures using the techniques filtration, crystallisation, distillation and chromatography.
• Describe how materials become charged
• Describe differences between series and parallel circuits
• Describe magnets and how they interact

Assessment:

• Progress tasks in lessons
• VIP recall quizzes in class
• A4P tasks in lessons
• End or topic exams
• Multi topic TSAT exams

Homework:

• VIP questions
• Keyword / definition-based tasks
• Exam revision prior to end of topic or TSAT exam

Links to Careers and Preparation for Life in Modern Britain:

• Experiencing fascination, awe and wonder
• Developing and expressing personal views or valuess
• Mutual respect
• Developing personal qualities and using social skills
• Participating, cooperating and resolving conflicts

Topics Covered:

• The Earth (including the rock cycle, climate change and recycling).
• Motion, pressure and moments
• Structure and function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells.
• Structure and function of DNA
• Enzymes and enzyme-controlled reactions
• Respiration and photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis
• The particle model and its limitations
• Atomic structure and its development

Key Knowledge and Skills:

• Know the structure of the Earth and how rocks are cycled.
• The impact of humans on the atmosphere.
• How to calculate pressure and how temperature affects it.
• How to use equations to calculate speed, pressure and moments.
• The fundamental units of life on Earth are cells, their structure and function
• Use of equations to describe photosynthesis.
• Use of equations to describe respiration.
• Describe the main features of the particle model.
• Describe changes that occur when a change of state occurs (including calculations)
• Recall the mass, charge and location of subatomic particles
• Use tier 3 scientific vocabulary and extended reading.
• Use equations and complete calculations.
• Measure angles
• Make predictions, analyse data (including graphing), draw conclusions and evaluate methods and data.
• Use equipment and carry out practical activities.
• Write word and symbol equations.

Assessment:

• Progress tasks in lessons
• VIP recall quizzes in class
• A4P tasks in lessons
• End or topic exams
• Multi topic TSAT exams

Homework:

• VIP questions
• Keyword / definition-based tasks
• Exam revision prior to end of topic or TSAT exam

Links to Careers and Preparation for Life in Modern Britain:

• Experiencing fascination, awe and wonder
• Developing and expressing personal views or values
• Mutual respect
• Developing personal qualities and using social skills
• Participating, cooperating and resolving conflicts

The combined science GCSE is a dual GCSE course that covers all three sciences (chemistry, physics and biology) .

The course is split into the following modules:

Biology

• Working scientifically
• Cell – level systems
• Scaling up
• Organism-level systems
• Community-level systems
• Genes, inheritance and selection
• Global challenges – Biology focused.
• Practical skills.

Chemistry

• Working scientifically
• Particles
• Elements, compounds and mixtures
• Chemical reactions
• Predicting and identifying products
• Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions
• Global challenges – chemistry focused.
• Practical skills.

Physics

• Working scientifically
• Matter
• Forces
• Electricity and magnetism
• Waves and radioactivity
• Energy
• Global challenges – physics focused
• Practical skills.

• Cellular biology including photosynthesis and respiration and the role of enzyme in controlling biological processes.
• Molecular genetics and DNA and its role in inheritance
• Environmental science, evolution, natural selection and mans impact on the natural world.
• Reactions of metals and their uses.
• Chemistry of fuels, and the impact of pollution on the environment (including global warming and acid rain)
• Energy, forces and electricity.
• Waves, radiation and matter
• Use tier 3 scientific vocabulary, reading for science and extended writing.
• Use equations and completing calculations.
• Measure angles
• Make predictions, analyse data (including graphing), draw conclusions and evaluate methods and data.
• Use equipment and carry out practical activities.
• Write word and symbol equations.