Science

Useful Resources and Revision Support

Learning Checklists – all students are provided with these in their exercise books
AQA exam board
BBC Bitesize KS3 Science
BBC Bitesize KS4 Science
Free Science Lessons
Doc Brown
Recommended Science Books:
Wider Reading List - Science

Studying Science gives young people a better understanding of the world around them. At Bingley we encourage our students to develop a positive and practical approach to Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

At GCSE, most of our students follow the AQA Combined Science Trilogy pathway which is made up of all three science subjects and is worth two GCSEs. The three sciences equip students with many skills that will support them in their later lives. At A level we follow the AQA Chemistry, Physics and Biology A level specifications and the Edexcel Applied Science specification for our BTEC courses. Students who perform well, display outstanding attitudes to learning and have a clear interest in science consistently throughout year 10 will be invited to join our challenging separate science courses.

Science is an enquiry-based subject which we embed throughout the curriculum to enable students to develop their ideas in a supportive environment. Making clear links between scientific subject knowledge and practical enquiry makes science a unique and important subject to study. Our learners are inspired to achieve.

Assessment

Each topic is assessed continually during lessons by teaching staff and by students via peer and self-assessment. We also use regular end of unit assessments. These assessments focus upon recently covered material and ideas previously covered in linked topics taught earlier in the course.

KS4 Exam Board specification, AQA

GCSE Combined Science Trilogy

Separate Science Courses covered at BGS

GCSE Separate Biology

GCSE Separate Chemistry

GCSE Separate Physics

KS5 Exam Board Specification–AQA (A level) and Edexcel (BTEC Applied Science)

Enrichment

The department offers a KS3 Science club and we run themed lesson in KS3 at relevant times of the year (such as the science of fireworks in November and the science of Christmas in December). We organise a range of activities both in school as well as outside school to celebrate events such as British Science Week www.britishscienceweek.org.

The department arranges school-wide competitions and takes part in local and national competitions such as the Royal Society of Chemistry's Chemistry Challenge and the Shell Energy Bright Ideas Challenge.

In GCSE and A Level exam years revision sessions are offered to students to consolidate learning.

We also run various transition events inviting classes from local primary schools into our science labs allowing the children to get used to life at upper school in a fun but controlled way.

Curriculum Overview

Year 7

Biology

Food and Nutrition
Cells, tissues, organs and systems
Reproduction
Muscles and Bones

Chemistry

Mixtures and Separation
Rocks
Atoms, Elements and Materials
The Particle Model

Physics

Energy
Current Electricity
Forces
Sound

Year 8

Biology

Breathing and Respiration
Plant Growth
Unicellular Organisms
Ecosystems

Chemistry

The Periodic Table
Acids and Alkalis
Combustion
Metals and their uses

Physics

Fluids
Energy Transfer
Light
Earth and Space

Year 9

Biology

Genetics and Evolution
Health and Disease
Cell Biology

Chemistry

Reactivity
Making Materials
Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table

Physics

Forces & Motion
Force Fields
Energy

Year 10

Biology

Organisation

Digestion
Enzymes
Heart and blood
Cancer
Plant tissues

Infection and Response

Communicable diseases
Human defences
Vaccines

Bioenergetics

Photosynthesis
Respiration

Homeostasis and response

Homeostasis
Nervous system and reflexes
Endocrine system
Glucose and diabetes
Kidney
Human reproductive hormones

Chemistry

Bonding, structure and the properties of matter

Ionic bonds and compounds
Covalent bonds
Metallic bonds
States of matter
Polymers
Carbon structures

Quantitative chemistry

Conservation of mass
Relative formula mass
Chemical measurements
Moles

Chemical changes

Reactivity series
Extraction of metals
Acid reactions
Neutralisation
Electrolysis

Energy changes

Exothermic and endothermic reactions
Reaction profiles
Energy change of reactions

Rate and extent of chemical change

Calculating rate of reaction
Collision theory
Catalysts
Reversible reactions
Equilibrium

Physics

Electricity

Circuit symbols
Electrical charge
Current and potential difference
Resistors
Series and parallel circuits
Mains electricity
Power and efficiency

Particle model of matter

Density
Internal energy
Temperature changes in a system
Specific latent heat
Particle motion in gas

Atomic structure

Structure of an atom
Isotopes
Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation
Half-lives

Forces

Scalar and vector quantities
Contact and non-contact forces
Gravity
Resultant forces
Work done and energy transfer
Forces and elasticity
Speed and velocity
Acceleration
Newton's laws of motion
Braking distances
Momentum

Year 11

Biology

Inheritance, variation and evolution

Reproduction
Meiosis
DNA
Inheritance
Evolution
Extinction
Classification

Ecology

Communities
Organisation in an ecosystem
Cycling materials
Biodiversity

Chemistry

Organic chemistry

Carbon compounds as fuels
Fractional distillation

Chemical analysis

Pure substances
Chromatography
Identification of common gases

Chemistry of the atmosphere

Earth’s early atmosphere
Changes in oxygen levels
Greenhouse gases
Global climate change
Atmospheric pollutants

Using resources

Potable water
Waste water treatment
Life cycle assessment

Physics

Waves

Transverse and longitudinal waves
Properties of waves
Electromagnetic waves

Magnetism and electromagnetism

Poles of a magnet
Magnetic fields
Motor effect
Electromagnetism
Electric motors