Park High School

Welcome to the Science Department

"Science helps us to better understand ourselves and our place in the universe..."

Acting Head of Department:

Mrs Day-Haynes

e-mail: k.dayhaynes@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

Members of the Department:

Mr Scott

Mr Vallance

Mr Bury

Mr Dunne

Ms Firth

Ms Amoa-Awuah

Miss Bagoandes

Mr Himer

Miss Kelly

Miss Selva

Dr Serpente

Ms Boot-Handford

Mr Potts

Miss Patel

Mrs Janjale

Mrs Straughn

The scientific method fosters thinking skills. The very basis of science is a system of thought and experiment called the scientific method. It’s where you start with an idea, create a concrete way to prove or disprove your idea, and objectively show what you learned. Learning to follow this process helps you think logically. Seeing the relationship between empirical evidence and your theory helps you think critically. These important thinking skills can be applied in many areas of study. To give a child practice with these thinking skills nourishes a developing mind.

Science feeds a natural love for learning. One of the greatest things we can teach our children is to love learning. Science is a great medium to do so. Children are inquisitive explorers by nature and science offers lots to explore. Because much of science is hands-on, it appeals readily to most children. Nothing makes a child sit up and take notice like the “WOW!” of a great science experiment. Science can encourage a love for learning that will spill over into other subjects.

Science opens doors to many disciplines. Building an aptitude for science can be helpful in other areas of study; science encourages math. An interest in science is an interest in how things were once understood compared to how they are understood now. Thus studying science lends itself easily to studying history. And hand-in-hand with every lab experiment is the lab report – thus writing becomes a crucial part of science. Even the study of language itself is a part of science; its specialist terminology can be traced back to Latin or Ancient Greek.

Science prepares for the future. Science is the basis for much of our life. Agricultural science dictates how our food is produced, biomedical science keeps us healthy, physics and mechanical science takes from place to place, even our beds are constructed according to scientific principles. We almost literally eat, sleep and breathe science! As we prepare the next generation of consumers, voters, creators, and policy makers it is critical to ensure they are not only comfortable in science but that they are adept.

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3, students learn via a mix of theory and practical lessons, covering ideas as diverse as the smallest cells to the largest reaches of space. The scientific method fosters thinking skills. The very basis of science is a system of thought and experiment called the scientific method. Seeing the relationship between empirical evidence and a given theory helps one to think critically. Assessment takes place through a variety of means including homelearning, with detailed written feedback, and termly end of topic tests. “Engage” class debates and discussions provide opportunities for students to progress in their knowledge from simpler details to more complex ideas, encouraging students to achieve mastery of their science. Students in Year 7 and 8 have 3 weekly lessons while Year 9 have 6 lessons.

Year 7

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Working scientifically	Structure and function of body systems	Reproduction
Cells	Elements, atoms and compounds	Chemical reactions
Particles and their behaviour	Acids and Alkalis	Light
Forces	Sound	Space

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KS3 Assessment:

Home learning is allocated on a weekly basis by each department. It may be an isolated piece of work, a project, research or an alternative task which challenges the students to solidify their knowledge and / or extend it. Students will complete an end of topic test in each half term covering the content recently studied. In addition, students will be set an Assessed Home-Learning task (AHL) each half term, on which they will receive written feedback from their class teacher.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course. Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously with sufficient planning and organisation to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

Year 8

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Working scientifically	Ecosystem processes	The Earth
Health and lifestyle	Separation techniques	Metals and acids
The periodic table	Energy	Motion and pressure
Electricity and magnetism	Adaptation and inheritance

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KS3 Assessment:

Key Stage 4

Year 9

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Transitional skills for GCSE	GCSE Chemistry	GCSE Biology
GCSE Biology	GCSE Physics	GCSE Chemistry
		GCSE Physics

Before students embark on the GCSE course there is a transition period where students will be reminded of how to plan a scientific investigation, key scientific terminology, graph skills and practical write-up skills. In addition, a required practical activity for each subject (Physics – Hooke’s Law, Biology – Reaction time and Chemistry – Rates of reaction) will be completed during this time to reinforce these skills.

After the October half-term, students will begin the GCSE course covering topics from the Combined Science course (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) schemes of learning.

Home learning is allocated on a weekly basis by each class teacher. In addition, students will be set an Assessed Home-Learning task (AHL) each half term, on which they will receive written feedback from their class teacher.

KS4 Assessment:

Students will complete an end of topic test in each half term covering the content recently studied. Wider reading is always useful either from the websites offered, the text book or as directed by their classroom teacher.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught up to this point from the Combined Science course.

Examination Board:

Useful Reading Material:

AQA Biology third [edition] Oxford University Press

AQA Chemistry third [edition] Oxford University Press

AQA Physics third [edition] Oxford University Press

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) The Revision Guide Higher or Foundation

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) Exam Practice Workbook Higher or Foundation

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) Exam Practice Answer Book Higher or Foundation

Year 10

Autumn	Spring	Summer
GCSE Biology	GCSE Physics	GCSE Biology
GCSE Chemistry

All students will follow the Combined Science course until the end of Year 10.

Based on their progress throughout Year 10, students will be routed onto the Separate Sciences course or remain on the Combined Science course. All students will continue to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics however those on the Separate Sciences course will cover one third more content and receive three GCSE certificates instead of the two GCSE certificates on the Combined Science course.

Wider reading is always useful either from the websites offered, the text book or as directed by their classroom teacher.

KS4 Assessment:

Students will complete an end of topic test in each half term covering the content recently studied.

In the Summer Term, each student will sit a formal, internal exam which will consist of all elements taught throughout the course.

Examination Board:

Useful Reading Material:

AQA Biology third [edition] Oxford University Press

AQA Chemistry third [edition] Oxford University Press

AQA Physics third [edition] Oxford University Press

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) The Revision Guide Higher or Foundation

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) Exam Practice Workbook Higher or Foundation

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) Exam Practice Answer Book Higher or Foundation

Year 11

Students will work towards qualifications in either Separate Sciences (Three GCSE certificates) or Combined Science (Two GCSE certificates).

KS4 Assessment:

Combined Science students will have finished the majority of the course in the Autumn term, allowing the rest of the time to be spent on revision of Required Practical Activities, reflection on content and exam technique practise.

Students being entered for the Separate Sciences course will complete the Separate Only content of Biology, Chemistry and Physics until the Summer term.

Both Combined Science and Separate Sciences are assessed through external examinations which take place in May / June (the breakdown of these exams is found below).

Appropriate preparation in the form of revision should be taken seriously to ensure each student fulfils their potential.

GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy)

6 terminal examinations (2x Biology, 2x Chemistry and 2x Physics).

Each paper is 1hr 15mins long and is worth 16.7%

Separate Sciences:

GCSE Biology

2 Biology terminal papers

Each one is 1 hr 45mins, worth 50%

GCSE Chemistry

2 Chemistry terminal papers

Each one is 1 hr 45mins, worth 50%

GCSE Physics

2 Physics terminal papers

Each one is 1 hr 45mins, worth 50% each

Examination Board :

AQA

Course Specification:

Combined Science

AQA 8464 GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy)

Separate Sciences

AQA 8461 GCSE Biology

AQA 8462 GCSE Chemistry

AQA 8463 GCSE Physics

Entry Level

AQA 5960 Entry Level Certificate

Qualification obtained:

GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy)

GCSE Biology

GCSE Chemistry

GCSE Physics

Entry Level Certificate

Useful Reading Material:

AQA Biology third [edition] Oxford University Press

AQA Chemistry third [edition] Oxford University Press

AQA Physics third [edition] Oxford University Press

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) The Revision Guide Higher or Foundation

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) Exam Practice Workbook Higher or Foundation

CGP GCSE Combined Science for AQA (Grade 9-1) Exam Practice Answer Book Higher or Foundation

Additional information:

Useful Websites

www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science

www.kerboodle.com

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/bitesize

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse

Enrichment

GCSE Science Live – the chance to see and hear five of Britain’s top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms.

Big Bang Fair - an award-winning combination of exciting theatre shows, interactive workshops and exhibits and careers information from STEM professionals.

CREST award (Bronze, Silver and Gold) – science enrichment project where students write a report to introduce, describe and evaluate their work

Brent and Harrow Medical Day - short talk by consultants and trainee doctors as well as three workshops which are led by student doctors so students can have an idea about what being a medical student is like.