Science

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Compulsory Subject

Examination Board: AQA

Who to speak to:

Mr Shaw

WHY SHOULD STUDENTS study Science?

Science is constantly changing and affecting our lives. It affects so many choices you will make from health decisions, to which media sources you can trust, even helping you decide where to put your WiFi router for the best signal. We aim to teach every student the essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.

Studying Science will give students the foundations for understanding the natural world and will allow you to thrive in an increasingly technological society.

WHAT WILL STUDENTS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS COURSE?

All St Andrew’s students will have had a secure grounding in all the key concepts during Years 7 to 9, employing the same skills whichever aspect of science they study. Successful science students:

Look at evidence, such as the results from an experiment, and be able to describe and explain what is happening.
Use models effectively to help explain abstract ideas.
Carry out practical work methodically and safely.
Apply the skills they have learnt in mathematics to calculate scientific quantities, construct graphs and interpret data.
Take an interest in the world around them, enjoy finding out how things work or why things happen.
Make connections between different subject areas to synthesise information and make informed decisions.

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

This course is compulsory for all students. Students who enjoy Science and finding out about the world we live in can expect to be stretched and challenged in lessons. Students will be put in streamed groups at the beginning of Year 10 based on attitude and achievement in Year 9.

Teacher feedback and marking will focus on supporting you in developing your exam technique. In addition to this, there will be half termly past paper assessments to allow them to monitor their own progress.

As students approach their examinations they can expect lots of support from the maths teachers. We run weekly targeted intervention sessions, and we are really good at providing extra support with additional revision resources and practice exam papers.

Course DEscription

At the end of Year 11 all students will sit six examinations (two papers on each area of Science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics). The length of these papers depends on whether they are studying sperate Science, which gives them a GCSE grade for each subject, or Combined Science, which provides 2 GCSE qualifications graded using an average of all six papers.

Currently at St Andrew’s approximately the top 25% of students take the ‘triple science’ pathway, instead of combined.

Students will discuss their course decision with their teacher following Year 9 assessments, considering their own interests and study abilities.

All Science GCSEs are available in foundation (Grades 1-5) and higher tier (Grades 5-9), although a combination of papers is only available on the ‘Triple Science’ pathway. No final decision about tier of entry will be made until January of Year 11. It is worth noting that the level of demand of foundation tier is greater than under the old grading system and as a result there are far more candidates sitting foundation tier than in the years prior to 2017.

Course Content

Biology content

Cell biology
Bioenergetics
Organisation
Homeostasis and response (mostly triple only)
Infection and response
Inheritance, variation and evolution
Ecology

Chemistry content

Atomic structure and the periodic table.
Chemical changes
Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter
The rate and extent of chemical change
Energy changes
Organic chemistry (mostly triple only)
Quantitative chemistry
Chemical analysis (mostly triple only)
Using resources
Chemistry of the atmosphere

Physics content

Forces
Magnetism and electromagnetism (mostly triple only)
Energy
Particle model of matter
Waves
Atomic structure
Electricity
Space Physics (triple only)

Triple Science Assessment

There will be two 1h 45 min papers in each science, with each counting 50% of the final GCSE grade. Within each science there are 8 experiments which are compulsory, the methods and outcomes of these experiments will be examined in the written papers.

Combined Science Assessment

There are six 1h 15min papers: two biology, two chemistry and two physics. Each of the papers will assess knowledge and understanding from distinct topic areas. There will be 16 compulsory practical experiments that all students will complete over the course.

FURTHER EDUCATION AND CAREER PATHWAYS

Students are likely to require at least a Grade 6 or 7 in science(s) in order to study any A-level science courses, however the majority of local FE colleges do not discriminate against strong Combined Science grades. Other courses such as BTEC in Applied Science are also available. Science qualifications are desirable in a diverse list of careers from Accountancy to Zoology, and ultimately indicate an ability to think logically, and apply concepts to unfamiliar situations.