.
This course contains information related to SVC Science Faculty.
Notices
Look on the notice boards in the Science building for information about up and comming events.
Student Gallery
Topic outline
KS3 - Year 7
Teaching Order
Year 7 students will study each unit in the following order:-
Terms Units . Autumn Skills, Particles, Elements, Compounds & Mixtures (Autumn Half Term) . Cells, Reproduction (Christmas Holidays) . Spring Forces, The Solar System (Spring Half Term) . Chemical Reactions, Acid Reactions (Easter Holidays) . Summer Electricity & Magnetism, Energy (Summer Half Term) . Differences, Classification (Summer Holidays) Assessment
Students will be assessed by a test at the end of each half term and will be given feedback and targets for improvements.
Homework
Students will be given a homework project related to each of the modules listed above. They will also be set regular, smaller homework tasks to reinforce the work covered in lessons.
KS3 - Year 8
Modules - Unit Overview
Food & Digestion
In this unit students learn:- about different foods and how they can be combined to produce a balanced diet
- how food is broken down by digestion so it can be used by the body, for energy, growth and repair
Respiration
In this unit students learn:- how cells are supplied with the materials they need for respiration
- how cells in animals and plants release energy
- that the process of respiration is similar in all cells
Microbes & Disease
In this unit students:- learn that micro-organisms share the characteristics of other living things
- find out about growing micro-organisms to make products, and about the role of micro-organisms in infectious diseases
- learn about the body’s defence systems and how immunisation can protect against microbial infections
Ecology
In this unit students:- study a habitat in detail and learn how:
- organisms can be identified and sizes of populations compared
- feeding relationships can be modelled quantitatively
- living things within a community influence each other and are affected by the environment
Atoms & Elements
In this unit students:- learn that the huge range of materials is made from a relatively small number of elements
- learn that each element is composed of one sort of atom only
- explore the characteristics of some elements
- use the particle model to describe what happens when elements combine
Compounds & Mixtures
In this unit students:- distinguish between elements and compounds and how they are represented by symbols and formulae
- recognise chemical change as a process in which atoms join together in new ways
- distinguish between compounds and mixtures
- distinguish between chemical reactions in which new compounds are formed and the formation of mixtures
Rocks & Weathering
In this unit students:- learn about rock texture as one of the key characteristics of different rock types
- model rock texture
- learn about the processes of weathering, erosion, transportation and sedimentation
- relate processes, eg evaporation and dissolving, involved in rock formation to processes observed in other contexts
- consider processes operating on different timescales
The Rock Cycle
In this unit students:- learn about the major rock-forming processes
- learn how rock-forming processes are linked by the rock cycle
- use the concept of rock texture as one of the key characteristics of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
- relate processes observed in other contexts, eg crystallisation, to processes involved in the rock cycle
- consider processes operating on different timescales
Heating & Cooling
In this unit students:- recognise the need for a temperature scale
- learn to distinguish between heat (as energy) and temperature
- learn about mechanisms of heat transfer: conduction, convection and radiation, and apply this to familiar contexts
- learn about expansion and change of state in solids, liquids and gases
- use the particle model to explain conduction, convection and change of state
Magnets & Electromagnets
In this unit students:- identify magnetic materials, make a magnet and test the strength of a magnet
- use the concepts of a magnetic field, a permanent magnet and an electromagnet
- investigate factors affecting the strength of an electromagnet
- explain the working of a number of devices that use magnets and electromagnets
Light
In this unit students:- build on their knowledge of light and its effects
- learn how we see objects
- represent light as a ray and use this concept to explain reflection and refraction
- find out about the origin of coloured light and the appearance of coloured objects
Sound
In this unit students:- build on their knowledge of sound and hearing
- explain how sound travels through medi
- give an explanation of how the ear works, find out about the harmful effects of loud noise and how loud noise can be reduced
Teaching Order
The modules will be taught in pairs and will be covered in the following order:-
Module Units 1 8A Food & Digestion 8B Respiration 2 8L Sound & Hearing 8K Light 3 8E Atoms & Elements 8F Compounds & Mixtures 4 8C Microbes & Disease 8D Ecological Relationships 5 8I Heating & Cooling 8J Magnets & Electromagnets 6 8G Rocks & Weathering 8H The Rock Cycle Assessment
There will be SATs-style questions for each pair of units (see tables above) to be completed in exam conditions when both units in the pair have been completed. There will also be a level-assessed task for each unit.
HomeworkThere are homework booklets containing 3-4 activities related to the topic being studied which might be used. These have been designed with a literacy focus and may be set during the topics to consolidate in-class learning and may be set as part of the revision for the end of unit assessment. The students will be set regular homework tasks that will reinforce the work that the students will cover in class.
KS3 - Year 9
Students will study the following topics during the year:
- Inheritance & Selection
- Fit & Healthy
- Plants & Photosynthesis
- Plants for Food
- Reactions of Metals
- Patterns of Reactivity
- Environmental Chemistry
- Using Chemistry
- Energy & Electricity
- Gravity & Speed
- Pressure & Moments
- Investigating Science
Assessment
Students will be assessed throughout the year with module tests at the end of each unit. They will also have a mock SATs exam in March, and a final exam in May.
HomeworkDuring the Autumn Term, students will be given a booklet containing activities related to investigation skills. After Christmas, the students will be issued workbook from which activities will be set to consolidate in-class learning.
GCSE Science
These subject areas are ‘Core’ areas but there is a choice element for the specialism within. Choose:-
EITHER
GCSE OCR Gateway Science (Triple Award)
Three Separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry & Physics
Click the logo or link below if you would like to view the full course specification from the Exam Board website.
Exam Board Qualification Specification Coursework 
GCSE Science Triple Award J643 (Biology).
J644 (Chemistry).
J645 (Physics).33 1/3%
33 1/3%
33 1/3%If you are currently in a Set 1 or 2 for Science and especially if you want to study science at Advanced Level, we encourage you to follow the Triple Award course. This gives a deeper insight into Science. The three separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics provide the best preparation for future courses such as A Level. The separate science courses follow the same content as the Core and Additional Science but have two extra units of work in Chemistry, Physics and Biology to broaden your studies. Each subject is assessed separately and the three GCSE grades obtained could all be different. This option takes up more time because you must choose Science in Option A. There is a high mathematical content to this course and we plan to run up to two HIGHER LEVEL groups.
Back to Year 9 - KS4 Option Choice Courses OR
GCSE Core Science
Core Science (1 GCSE)
Plus one of the following courses that will be selected for you:
Additional Science (1 GCSE)
Additional Applied Science (1 GCSE)Click the logo or link below if you would like to view the full course specification from the Exam Board website.
Exam Board Qualification Specification Coursework GCSE Core Science J640 (Science B) 33 1/3% GCSE Additional Science J641 (Additional Science B) 33 1/3% 
GCSE Additional Applied Science 4863 (Additional Applied Science) 60% Most students will follow the OCR Core and Additional Science GCSE courses which covers the National Curriculum requirements in providing a sound, general, scientific grounding and allows time in school for you to take up an extra option in another subject. Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics are studied separately but tested in common papers. Core science is examined by two papers (students are expected to sit these examinations in January of Year 10, and January of Year 11) and skills assessment (centre assessed). Additional Science is also examined by two papers (students are expected to sit these examinations in January of Year 11, and June of Year 11) and skills assessment. Each specification leads to a separate GCSE grade based on overall performance in the two examinations and the centre assessed tasks. Students will be placed in one of three higher tier sets in each band (targeting grades CC or above).
Some students will be selected to follow the OCR Core Science and AQA Additional Applied Science GCSE courses which covers the National Curriculum requirements in providing a sound, general, scientific grounding and allows time in school for you to take up an extra option in another subject. Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics are studied separately but tested in common papers. AQA Additional Applied Science has a more vocational approach. It is examined by one terminal written paper (40%) that will be examined in June of Year 10, and two centre assessed units that require the student to build up a portfolio of work.
OCR Core Science is examined by two papers (students are expected to sit these examinations in January of Year 11, and June of Year 11) and skills assessment (centre assessed). Each specification leads to a separate GCSE grade based on overall performance in the two examinations and centre assessed elements. Students will be placed in one of two foundation tier sets in each band (aiming for CC).The GCSE Biology, Chemistry & Physics courses are split into six main categories each containing seven topic areas:-
