YEARS 7 AND 8

 The main aims of the first and second year science courses are to develop an awareness of what science is and how scientists approach problems, while studying a core of basic areas of the subject.  We do not study the three traditional disciplines as such but rather study different topics encountering Chemistry, Biology and Physics intertwined.

While there is, obviously, an essential body of course content, we encourage the development of skills such as practical ability, the ability to hypothesise, extrapolate, investigate, deduce and interpret.  These skills will be useful in later life whether the student is bound for the sciences or the arts, whereas ‘facts’ and ‘laws’ can change.

  The students study a course currently based upon the ‘Science 2000’ books (I and II) and Science Now books (I and II).  The units in Book I Science 2000 are entitled:

  We do not guarantee to cover all these topics and we do not confine ourselves to them.  For instance, one year some work was done on basic computer literacy, another year the second year studied the nature of electronics, while at the same time opportunities are taken to follow some students’ discoveries and interests.

Practical Assessment and topic tests based on the present National Curriculum are used throughout the courses.  

   YEAR 9

 In the third year the students study Biology, Chemistry and Physics as three separate sciences, having two periods a week in each.  The broad aims are to give the students a clear idea of each subject, a sound understanding of the basic principles and a lively interest in them, while showing their relevance to the real world beyond the laboratory door.

The sections below list the basic course content but should not be seen as a rigid scheme but rather as a framework within which a degree of flexibility is usual, since all groups differ in their needs and interests.  

   BIOLOGY   National Curriculum

 Ecology:

·        Climatic, edaphic and biotic factors

·        Study of soils

·        Population growth

·        Pyramids of numbers and biomass

·        Succession

·        Pollution

·        Food chains and webs

  Plant Nutrition:

·        Photosynthesis and the conditions for it  

·        Chlorophyll (extraction and chromatographic separation)

·        Photosynthesis experiments and general equation

·        Photosynthesis and its importance to all earth life

·        Leaf structure

  Characteristics of Insects

·        In general:  special attention to the honey bee as a social insect

    CHEMISTRY National Curriculum

 ·        Elements, mixtures and compounds

·        Separating mixtures

·        Fuels

·        Air

·        Water

·        Pollution

·        Metals

·        Atomic Structure

The use of chemical formulae and equations are introduced and then developed through the course as a whole.

PHYSICS   national curriculum

·        Forces

·        Basic Structure

·        Electricity and Simple Electronics

·        Density

·        Light

·        Kinetic Theory

·        Pressure  

Earth and Universe

      Towards the end of the year the students may study such things as the structure of the universe with some astrophysics, recent technology, how household appliances work (refrigerators, T.V., etc.) and other fringe topics.  Processing of data (tabling and graphing) is covered through the year.  

links to physics

KS3 levels explained

KS3 PRACTICALS

Interactive periodic table

THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

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