At Key stage 4 pupils develop scientific understanding and skills from the foundations laid at Key stage 3. All classes commence Key stage 4 work in January of Year 9. The most appropriate curriculum pathway (“Combined Science” or “Separate Sciences”) is selected for each pupil using data from assessments throughout Key Stage 3.

Our curricula have been designed to allow students to develop curiosity about the natural world, insight into how science works, and appreciation of its relevance to their everyday lives whichever pathway they follow.

All pupils receive a minimum of 5 hours of curriculum time per week; separate science pupils in year 10 have 6 hours of curriculum time per week. All classes are taught by subject specialists, one each for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Pupils receive regular feedback from teachers and peers, both verbal and written. Pupils are encouraged to self-assess and peer assess their work during their lessons and this is then used to inform future planning. Pupils are regularly assessed with end of topic assessments throughout the course. Pupils are guided to review test outcomes in terms of strengths and weaknesses in each of the assessment objectives within the course.

Assessment Objectives

Whilst science GCSEs are content rich, pupils are also encouraged to be aware of the specific skills that are assessed in examinations.

• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific techniques and procedures.
• AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of: scientific ideas; scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures.
• AO3: Analyse information and ideas to: interpret and evaluate; make judgments and draw conclusions; develop and improve experimental procedures.

Curriculum pathways

At Elton High School all pupils undertake an AQA GCSE course. Combined science pupils take GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy specification (course code: 8464) and achieve TWO GCSE grades at the end of the course; pupils taking separate sciences take GCSEs in Biology (course code 8461), Chemistry (course code 8462) and Physics (course code 8463) and achieve separate grades for each subject area.

The specifications for all our GCSEs are available at http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse

Usually six groups of pupils undertake GCSE Combined Science and three groups undertake GCSE Biology, GCSE Chemistry and GCSE Physics.

All GCSE examinations are now taken at the end of Year 11.

All GCSE cohorts will have completed the content required for paper one by March of Year 10.

The content required for paper 2 will be completed by March of Year 11.

EXAMINATION CONTENT (greater detail regarding the content can be found via http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse )

GCSE COMBINED SCIENCE (all exams are 1 hour 15 minutes long)

BIOLOGY PAPER ONE: Cell Biology; Organisation; Infection and response; and Bioenergetics.

CHEMISTRY PAPER ONE: Atomic structure and the periodic table; Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter; Quantitative chemistry; Chemical changes; and Energy changes.

PHYSICS PAPER ONE: Energy; Electricity; Particle model of matter; and Atomic structure.

BIOLOGY PAPER TWO: Homeostasis and response; Inheritance, variation and evolution; and Ecology

CHEMISTRY PAPER TWO: The rate and extent of chemical change; Organic chemistry; Chemical analysis; Chemistry of the atmosphere; and Using resources.

PHYSICS PAPER TWO: Forces; Waves; and Magnetism and electromagnetism

“TRIPLE SCIENCE” (all exams are 1hr 45 minutes long)

GCSE BIOLOGY

PAPER ONE CONTENT:

Cell biology; Organisation; Infection and response; and Bioenergetics.

PAPER TWO CONTENT:

Homeostasis and response; Inheritance, variation and evolution; and Ecology.

GCSE CHEMISTRY

PAPER ONE CONTENT:

Atomic structure and the periodic table; Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter; Quantitative chemistry, Chemical changes; and Energy changes.

PAPER TWO CONTENT:

The rate and extent of chemical change; Organic chemistry; Chemical analysis, Chemistry of the atmosphere; and Using resources.

GCSE PHYSICS

PAPER ONE CONTENT:

Energy; Electricity; Particle model of matter; and Atomic structure

PAPER TWO CONTENT:

Forces; Waves; Magnetism and electromagnetism; and Space physics.

Questions in Paper 2 may draw on an understanding of energy changes and transfers due to heating, mechanical and electrical work and the concept of energy conservation from Energy and Electricity.