Science
Staffing: Mrs Clarke (Head of Department), Ms Haigh, Mr Archer, Mr Dunn, Mrs Schofield, Mrs Bradburn, Miss Jackson, Miss Russell, Miss Pedley (Lab Technician) and Mrs Ashcroft (Admin Support)
The Science department is fully committed to the provision of high quality Science education, enhancing the scientific capability of all pupils, irrespective of ability, within a challenging, exciting and dynamic environment.
We believe firmly in “be the best you can be” and have designed our curriculum to allow pupils to achieve maximum success.
The department is proud of its record in GCSE examinations. In 2010 25.6% of entries were graded at an A / A* and 84% at A* - C.
In 2010 97% of Key Stage 3 Students gained a level 5 or above and 38% gained a level 7.
Key Stage 3
Science is taught to all pupils building from four periods per fortnight in Year 7, to six in Year 9. The course is National Curriculum based and designed in school to meet the best needs of pupils. Work is topic based and taught by subject specialists.
Topics covered in Key Stage 3 include:
Year 7 – Working in a Scientific way – CSI Bury Church, Life and Reproduction, The Sun, Particles, Energy and Forces.
Year 8 - Sustainability, Forces, Sound and Light, Chemical World, Acids and Alkalis, the Earth and Animal Systems.
Year 9 - Electricity, Energy, Photosynthesis, Nutrition, Respiration, Circulation, Waves, Periodic Table, Structures of Materials, Metals and their reactions and the Solar System.
Assessment in Key Stage 3 takes place at the end of each module with a formal written test, but throughout the unit students will also be assessed via Progress tasks which take a variety of forms including research, projects, experiments and presentations.
Key Stage 4
Students have 9 lessons of Science each fortnight, three of Biology, three of Chemistry and three of Physics. All lessons are taught by subject specialists
Science is a compulsory subject within school and our philosophy is to enter all students for at least one GCSE exam.
Students can choose to study
- AQA GCSE Science
- OR AQA GCSE Science and GCSE Additional Science
- OR AQA GCSE Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
The full exam specification can be found at www.aqa.org.uk.
The examinations for GCSE Science are taken in January and June of Year 10.
The examinations for GCSE Additional Science are taken in January and June of Year 11
The examinations for GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics are taken in January and June of Year 10 and January and June of Year 11
Units in Year 10 are:
Biology – Co-ordination and control, Healthy Eating, Drug Abuse, Controlling Infectious Disease, Adaptation, Variation, Evolution, How People affect the Planet.
Chemistry – The Earth and Atmosphere, Useful metals, Oil, Plants and Oil,
Physics – Heat transfer and efficiency, Generating and Using Electricity, Electromagnetic waves, Radioactivity, The origins of the Universe.
Units in Year 11 are:
Biology – Cells, How Plants produce food, Energy flows, Enzymes, Homeostasis, Inheritance
Chemistry – Structures and Bonding, Structures and properties, Chemical Calculations, Rates of Reaction, Energy and Reactions, Electrolysis, Acids, Alkalis and Salts.
Physics – Motion, Speeding up and Slowing down, Work Energy and Momentum, Static Electricity, Electricity, Nuclear Physics.
Extension units for triple Science groups – Life Processes, Microorganisms, Elements Acids and Water, Energy and Chemical Tests, Forces and Waves, Magnetism and Stars.
Students also complete 3 ISA (Controlled assessment) tasks each year, which have replaced coursework. These tasks consist of an experiment followed by a written paper set by AQA.
Extra Curricular Activities
Participation in external Science competitions, Study Groups. Gifted and talented Science days at Holy Cross College and St. Gabriels Specialist Science College.
