Bingley Grammar School

Science

Useful Resources and Revision Support

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) 

A level Biology 

A level Chemistry

A level Physics  

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

 

Student Support and Wellbeing: Worried about something?

Report it.