Year 7

Aims of Course
The Science course will start the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Years 7 to 9 (KS3) by introducing a range of basic concepts, skills and facts. The scheme of work builds upon and extend students’ experiences of Science from Key Stage 2.

The course is taught in units based upon experimental work, offering variety in the activities and the approach to learning and understanding. The course provides balanced Science - the balance between pure and applied Science, and between practical skills and knowledge. Students will have opportunities to use the scientific ideas and models and to understand a range of familiar applications.

Equipment Required
Students will not be expected to bring any special equipment to Science lessons, but should have a pen, pencil, eraser and ruler with them. A calculator and coloured crayons will sometimes be useful as well.

Homework/Independent Study
Homework/independent study is set regularly in accordance with School Policy. The tasks can include written answers to questions, stories with a scientific base, diagrams, posters or simple investigations using substances easily found around the home. Research work will be set allowing sufficient time in order for students to use the school library or IT resources.

Assessment
Students are assessed throughout the year as units are completed. National Curriculum assessment may be based on the results of end of unit tests, whilst other levels can be shown by homework/independent study or classwork, and of course, practical work. The National Curriculum levels gained by each student for the different units will be summarised for the report sheets issued during the year.

Students with above average ability will be achieving Level 5 and working towards Level 6 by the end of the year. Average students will achieve Level 4 and below average students Level 3. The practical assessments (Sc1) are often lower than the course work assessments (Sc 2, 3, 4) during Year 7.

How Parents/Carers can help

• Parents/Carers can help by questioning their child before a test to help them learn the work. Ask to see their homework/independent study as it will be set regularly. Please discuss any comments in your child's exercise books with them.
• Several text books are used to cover all the units of work in Year 7. Students may have the use of a book for some topics. There are several text books summarising Key Stage 3 available, eg. “ Key Stage 3 Science”, published by Letts, which students may wish to purchase to help their studies.

Contact: Subject Leader – Mr R Carter

Course Content
Content and skill areas have been selected to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum and offer students a continuous and challenging scientific education. Work started this year will be continued in Years 8 and 9 to complete Key Stage 3. The topics taught in Year 7 are:

Foundation Unit including practical skills; water; cells and classification; environment; electricity, particles, life, energy, forces, and acids.

A visit to Bristol Zoo will be arranged in the Autumn Term to complement work on classification.

Year 8

Course Content
The course is based on practical activities which are supported by text books and material produced within the school. The content and skill areas have been selected to provide a course, which both fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum, and offers students a continuous and challenging scientific education. The topics taught in Year 8 are: Senses; Materials and Substances; Environment 2; Earth and Space; Geology; Body Systems; Microbes:Magnetism and Heat Transfer.

Year 9

Course Content
The course is taught in units based upon experimental work, offering variety in the activities and the approach to learning and understanding. The course provides balanced Science - the balance between pure and applied Science, and between practical skills and knowledge.

Practical skills have been assessed throughout the course for Attainment Target 1 in the National Curriculum, as has the level of knowledge and understanding in the various topics studied. Units of work studied cover Attainment Targets 2, 3 and 4 as shown below, revising or completing work started in Years 7 and 8

Attainment Target 2

• Photosynthesis
• Environment
• Inheritance

Attainment Target 3

• Basic Chemistry
• Gases
• Metals
• Periodic Table

Attainment Target 4

• Forces
• Electromagnetism
• Speed and Gravity

After the examinations in May, students will study units of work which introduce some GCSE topics and explore some health issues in greater depth.