Science_OLD

Science Overview

Year 7

Year 7 follow a bespoke Jarrow School programme of study which covers a variety of modules from the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum.

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Sep - Oct	Nov - Dec	Jan - Feb	Feb - Easter	Easter - May	May - July
Cells, Particles, Forces and Motion, Digestion, The Periodic Table		Waves, Respiration and Circulation, States of Matter		Energy and Matter, Skeletal and Nervous Systems, Application of Science

Pupils will complete a recall and review assessment at the end of each module to show progress. Homework will be set at least once per half term in accordance with school policy. All pupils will sit an end of year exam in July with questions from all the modules covered throughout the year.

Year 8

Year 8 continue to follow the bespoke Jarrow School programme of study which covers more modules from the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum.

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Sep - Oct	Nov - Dec	Jan - Feb	Feb - Easter	Easter - May	May - July
The Reproductive System, Separating Mixtures, Forces and Matter, Plants		Equations and Calculations, Earth and Space, Application of Science		Ecology, The Earth and its Atmosphere, Electricity and Magnetism

Pupils will complete a recall and review assessment at the end of each module to show progress. Homework will be set at least once per half term in accordance with school policy. All pupils will sit an end of year exam at the end of July with questions from all the modules covered throughout the year.

Year 9

Year 9 follow the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science programme of study. All pupils will cover the first few Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules over the course of the year. The order in which these are taught are entirely at the discretion of the individual teacher. A breakdown of the topics covered in each module is shown below;

• Biology – Key Concepts in Biology, Genetics, Natural Selection
• Chemistry – States of Matter, Separation, Atomic Structure, Periodic Table
• Physics – Motion, Forces, Conservation of Energy

Pupils will complete an assessment at the end of each module to show progress. Homework will be set at least once per half term in accordance with school policy. All pupils will sit a mock GCSE exam in each of the 3 modules during June; the results of which help determine the most suitable Science course for the pupil to follow at GCSE, as well as what set they will be placed.

Year 10

10a1 follow the Edexcel GCSE Triple Science programme of study and will obtain qualifications in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. All other classes in Year 10 follow the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science programme of study.

All pupils will cover the first Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules over the course of the year. The order in which these are taught are entirely at the discretion of the individual teacher. A breakdown of the topics covered in each module is shown below;

• Biology – Key Concepts in Biology, Cells and Control, Genetics, Natural Selection, Health
• Chemistry – States of Matter, Separation, Atomic Structure, Periodic Table, Ionic and Covalent bonding
• Physics – Motion, Forces, Conservation of Energy, Waves, Light, Radioactivity

Pupils will complete an assessment at the end of each module to show progress. Homework will be set at least once per half term in accordance with school policy. All pupils will sit a mock GCSE exam in each of the 3 modules during June.

Year 11

11a1 continue to follow the Edexcel GCSE Triple Science programme of study and will obtain qualifications in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. All other classes in Year 11 continue to follow the Edexcel GCSE Combined Science programme of study.

All pupils will cover the final Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules over the course of the year. The order in which these are taught are entirely at the discretion of the individual teacher. A breakdown of the topics covered in each module is shown below;

• Biology – Plant Structures, Homeostasis, Transport, Ecosystems
• Chemistry – Electrolysis, Obtaining Metals, Periodic Table, Rates of Reaction, Atmospheric Science
• Physics – Energy, Electricity, Magnetism, Particles

Pupils will complete an assessment at the end of each module to show progress. Homework will be set at least once per half term in accordance with school policy. All pupils will sit 6 GCSE exams during May and June to ascertain their final GCSE grading.

Additional Curriculum Information

Intent

It is our intent to provide all children with a broad, balanced and challenging science curriculum, rich in skills and knowledge, based upon the National Curriculum. We aim to promote positive attitudes to science as an essential, interesting and enjoyable subject, while stimulating the interest of students into how real-world science impacts on everyday life. We are committed to raising student awareness of the many opportunities for science-based careers within the local area and beyond. 

All students are encouraged to adopt an inquisitive, critical and logical approach to problem solving, based on scientific evidence. We are committed to raising standards of achievement, through a variety of teaching methods and opportunities, challenging misconceptions and promoting scientific literacy, thus developing confident, responsible and articulate young scientists. An environment conducive to learning where we all students consider the social, moral and ethical implications of science in the media and the impact of science on their future lives is established in the department.

Assessment

Assessment occurs day-to day in a very diverse manner across all year groups. 

At Key Stage 3, formal summative assessment occurs at the end of every module via a differentiated Recall and Review lesson. An end of year assessment will take place at the end of June. Outcomes are recorded as a percentage in a central tracker and reported against the class average. 

At Key Stage 4, formal summative assessment occurs at the end of every term and is based upon actual GCSE style questions. Triple scientists will complete an hour-long paper for each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics with questions comprised from the modules they have studied during that term. Combined scientists will complete 2 x hour long papers comprising questions from the Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules studied that term. Formal Mock Examinations take place in the June of Year 10 and November of Year 11. Outcomes are recorded as a percentage and GCSE grade, using grade boundaries from previous examination series. Data is recorded in a central tracker and reported against the students’ aspirational target.

Formative assessment is evident in every lesson across all year groups. This occurs in a variety of formats, with low stakes recall tests and cold-calling implemented as compulsory strategies within the department.