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5 Year Science Course

The curriculum in science has been developed to gradually develop understanding of topics throughout student's time at St Peter’s. By revisiting and building on knowledge progressively will embed understanding. Furthermore, the curriculum is being developed so links can be made between the different topics and subjects, which will deepen understanding of the subject.

 This will enable students to feel more confident in their knowledge. Thus, be able to use their knowledge and understanding to communicate effectively about the subject outside of education.

Year 7 starts with introduction to science lessons during which students will learn understanding of safety in the lab, designing and undertaking practical’s and displaying results. After which they will put their understanding into practise through a space mission topic. From then on KS3 follows the AQA KS3 syllabus (for more information see: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/ks3/ks3-science-syllabus ). We have written a scheme of work that enables students to revisit and expand their understanding of science skills whilst introducing them to key theories of science.

Content is under 11 big idea headings: Forces, Electromagnetism, Energy, Waves, Matter, Reactions, Earth, Organisms, Ecosystems, Genes and How Science works. Each idea contains topics: the building blocks for the big ideas.

The below shows how each big idea is covered over the 5 years from year 7 to year 11, and what it leads to in KS5.

Forces

Year

Term

Topic

7

1

Gravity and Space**

7

1

Space mission

7

2

Speed

7

3

Contact forces

8

1

Density and Pressure

9

1

Maths Skills (& Space)

9

3

Forces*

10

3

Forces and motion

11

2

Space (triple only)

* Taught early in the course as underpins principles in further topics

** Taught first, as engaging science topic and follows on from Space mission topic

Electromagnets

Year

Term

Topic

8

3

Magnets, current voltage and electromagnets

10

1

Electricity

11

1

Electromagnets

Energy

Year

Term

Topic

8

1

Work

8

2

Energy and energy transfer

8

2

Heating and cooling

9

3

Energy

10

1

Energy changes

Waves

Year

Term

Topic

7

1

Gravity and space – observing the universe

9

1

Waves*

11

1

Waves

* All waves (light, sound) taught together to enable pupils to make links between them

Matter

Year

Term

Topic

7

1

Particle theory

7

2

Separating mixtures

7

3

Elements

8

1

Periodic table

9

1

Atoms and the periodic table

9

3

Bonding

10

2

Particle model

10

2

Atomic theory

11

1

Quantitative chemistry*

* Taught later in the course as difficult topic.

Reactions

Year

Term

Topic

7

3

Substances

8

1

Types of reactions

8

2

Chemical energy

10

1

Chemical changes

10

2

Rates of reactions

10

3

Hydrocarbons

11

1

Chemical analysis

Earth

Year

Term

Topic

8

3

Earth’s Structure and Earth’s resources

8

3

Climate *

11

1

The atmosphere

11

2

Using resources

* Greenhouse gases and climate change not currently part of the national curriculum.  Added to SPS science, as key issue in today’s world.

Ecosystems

Year

Term

Topic

7

3

 Ecosystems and food chains

8

1

Respiration and Photosynthesis

9

2

Organisation

10

3

Ecology

Genes

Year

Term

Topic

7

3

Reproduction

8

1

Adaptation and Variation

8

2

Inheritance and evolution

10

3

Inheritance

11

1

Evolution

Organisms

Year

Term

Topic

7

1

Cells*

7

2

The Human body

9

2

Cells

9

3

Organisation

10

2

Health

10

2

Homeostasis

* Taught first as underpins all biology topics

How Science Works

Year

Term

Topic

7

1

How to be a scientist*

7

1

Space Mission **

9

1

Maths and Space ***

9

1

Practical Skills ****

* Introduction to science to support transition from KS2

** Topic based series of lesson reinforcing scientific skills learnt in How to be a scientist topic

*** Maths based topic with a space theme. To support maths skills used in science.

**** Additional science skills topic to support key skills