Science
Key Stage 3
Year 7
From September 2008 year 7 will be following a new curriculum based on the new QCA Programmes of Study and resourced using “Science Works OxBox” published by Oxfor University Press. Initially in year 7, students are taught in mixed ability groups and will be put into ability sets following an assessment based on their first four units of work. The new curriculum will include aspects of the Learning to Learn curriculum. The new Science curriculum will roll on into years 8 and 9 with the cohort as the students move on up through the school.
Alongside the Science curriculum, the Science faculty uses the CASE (Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education) programme which helps students to improve their thinking skills. The CASE programme runs through year 7 from November until the end of year 8.
Year 8
The move into year 8 provides an opportunity to reconsider the setting of the students and reposition students within the cohort, based on their demonstrated ability during year 7. We also take this opportunity to identify students for whom it would be appropriate to follow an accelerated path through the remainder of KS3 science. These students would begin KS4 science following an early SAT at the end of year 9.
The current year 8 curriculum derives its content from the current QCA Programmes of Study, for which the last SAT will be in May 2010. This curriculum is resources using the “Hodder Science” published by Hodder and Stoughton.
Year 9
During terms 1 to 4 students complete the KS3 Science programme following a curriculum based on “Hodder Science” published by Hodder and Stoughton. Alongside this the year 9 science teachers also concentrate on developing student’s learning to prepare them for the SATs in May. Once the SATs are completed students begin their KS4 Science course of choice (based upon preferences expressed during the options process).
Key Stage 4
Depending on their options choices students will study for one of following sets of qualifications during their KS4 science lessons:-
• Edexcel GCSE Science and Additional Science
• AQA Separate Sciences GCSE Biology, GCSE Chemistry and GCSE Physics
• Edexcel BTEC Science
• Entry Level Science
GCSE Science and Additional Science
The majority of students will follow this option and it will take up 20% of their timetable. This option comprises two modular courses with one GCSE being taught in each year of KS4. Both of these GCSEs are offered over two tiers, but each component within the courses can be taken at either tier. By the end of year 11 students following these two courses will gain two separate grades, one for GCSE Science and the second for GCSE Additional Science. For GCSE Science the coursework component comprises 40% of the qualification. For GCSE Additional Science the coursework component comprises between 40% and 70% of the qualification depending on the assessment route the students follow.
Separate Sciences
Students that really enjoy science and wish to take it much further will be those that tend to follow this option and it will take up 30% of their timetable. This option comprises three modular courses each one taught across the two years of the key stage. For all three courses the coursework component comprises 25% of the qualification. By the end of year 11 students following this option will gain three grades, one in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
BTEC Science
This is a vocational science qualification equivalent to GCSE and is intended for those scientists who do less well in traditional examinations, but are able to work continuously well through the two years of the course and produce a portfolio of assignments that meet the assessment criteria. There are no examination for this course. The coursework component makes up 100% of the qualification. By the end of year 11 students will gain a double grade equivalent to two GCSEs.
Entry Level Science
This is a course that student are invited to take. It is intended for those students for whom GCSE level work is not appropriate.
