Skip to main content

Students at St. Bede’s study topics across all three disciplines of science from year 7 through to year 11; these are biology chemistry and physics. The coverage of these topics provides students with a breadth and depth of understanding of the world around them. Biology helps students to understand the living world and organisms, covering the biological processes of humans, other animal, plants and microorganisms. In chemistry, students gain an understanding of the atoms, elements and molecules which make up matter and the chemical processes which take place to form new substances. In physics, students gain an understanding of energy and forces, how these interact on Earth and beyond, to make sense of actions we see every day.

Year 7

In year 7, students are taught a breadth of topics across all three specialisms of biology, chemistry and physics. The schemes of learning across year 7-8 are designed to cover all topics outlined in the KS3 national curriculum for science. These topics are interleaved to ensure regular revisiting of each specialism throughout the year. The topics are chosen as the fundamental scientific concepts of many topics they will be taught in subsequent years of key stage 3 and key stage 4.

Unit 1 –  Scientific Skills

  • Using apparatus safely
  • Assessing risks in investigations
  • Planning investigations, including variables
  • How to process collected data, including graph skills

Unit 2 –  Organisms 1 – Biology

  • Levels of organisation
  • The skeleton, joints and muscles
  • Using microscopes
  • Plant and animal cells
  • Unicellular and multicellular organisms
  • Specialised cells
  • Transport into and out of cells

Unit 3 –  Matter 1 – The Particle Model – Chemistry

  • States of matter
  • State changes
  • Boiling and Evaporation
  • Diffusion
  • Gas pressure

Unit 4 –  Energy 1 – Physics

  • Food as fuel
  • Energy resources
  • Power ratings and calculations
  • Energy transfer and dissipation

Unit 5 –  Ecosystem 1 – Physics

  • Food chains and food webs
  • Ecosystems and interdependence
  • Competition for resources
  • Plant reproduction
  • Plant fertilisation and germination

Unit 6 –  Reactions 1 – Chemistry

  • Acids and alkalis
  • Neutralisation
  • Metals and non-metals
  • Chemical reactions of metals
  • Displacement reactions

Unit 7 –  Reactions 1 – Chemistry

  • Gravity
  • Balanced and unbalanced forces
  • Laws of motion
  • Speed, distance & time

Unit 8 –  Matter 1 – Separating Mixtures – Chemistry

  • Pure and impure substances
  • Making solutions
  • Solubility
  • Filtration
  • Distillation and evaporation
  • Chromatography

Unit 9 –  Waves 1 – Physics

  • Sound waves
  • Hearing
  • Light
  • Reflection and refraction
  • The eye and vision
  • Observing colour

Unit 10 –  Genes 1 – Biology

  • Variation
  • Adaptations of plants and animals
  • Adolescence
  • Reproductive systems
  • Development of a fetus
  • The menstrual cycle

Unit 10 –  Electromagnets 1 – Physics

  • Current and Potential difference
  • Resistance
  • Series and parallel circuits
  • Using electricity equations

Unit 11 –  Earth 1 – Chemistry

  • The structure of the earth
  • Formation and types of rocks
  • The rock cycle
  • The earth and solar system
  • The moon

Additional Information

As part of each unit covered throughout the year, students are given many opportunities to develop their scientific and skills throughout each unit. In a similar manner to how required practicals are now part of many topics in GCSE, we have woven required practicals into units of our key stage 3 units to maximise the development of scientific skills in the topics we deliver.

Year 8

In year 8, students are taught a breadth of topics across all three specialisms of biology, chemistry and physics. The schemes of learning across year 7-8 are designed to cover all topics outlined in the KS3 national curriculum for science. These topics are interleaved to ensure regular revisiting of each specialism throughout the year. The topics are chosen to build on the foundations laid in year 7 and the knowledge and skills taught will be extended to greater depths with the topics they are taught in subsequent years in key stage 3-4.

Unit 1 –  Scientific Skills

  • Using apparatus safely
  • Assessing risks in investigations
  • Planning investigations, including variables
  • How to process collected data, including graph skills
  • Analysing and concluding data
  • Evaluating investigations

Unit 2 –  Earth 1 – Chemistry

  • Structure of the Earth
  • Rock Cycle
  • Solar System
  • Day and Night

Unit 3 –  Ecosystems 2 – Biology

  • Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
  • Biotechnology
  • Photosynthesis
  • Adaptations of plants
  • Plant minerals

Unit 4 –  Reactions 2 – Chemistry

  • Combustion
  • Thermal decomposition
  • Endothermic & exothermic reactions

Unit 5 –  Forces 2 – Physics

  • Friction and Drag
  • Turning and moments
  • Pressure in solids, liquids and gases

Unit 6 –  Genes 2 – Biology

  • Inheritance
  • DNA
  • Genetics
  • Evolution and natural selection
  • Extinction
  • Preserving biodiversity

Unit 7 – Earth 2 – Chemistry

  • The carbon cycle
  • Global warming
  • Climate change
  • Using Earth’s resources
  • Recycling

Unit 8 –  Magnetism 2 – Physics

  • Magnetic Materials
  • Induced and permanent magnets
  • Electromagnets

Unit 9 –  Matter 2 – Chemistry

  • Atomic Structure
  • Compounds
  • Chemical formulae
  • The Periodic Table

Additional Information

As part of each unit covered throughout the year, students are given many opportunities to develop their scientific and skills throughout each unit. In a similar manner to how required practicals are now part of many topics in GCSE, we have woven required practicals into units of our key stage 3 units to maximise the development of scientific skills in the topics we deliver.

Year 9

In year 9 science, students spend three of the six half-terms learning skill-specific topics which are orientated around scientific investigations. Students carry out specific investigations which tie in to the GCSE specification but with the aim developing a large range of scientific skills. Any content is taught to a simple level to ensure students understand the theory behind the investigations, but the primary focus is on students strengthening their scientific techniques to be able to plan and collect data from investigations, as well as developing their ability to process, analyse and evaluate investigations. These topics are taught in three blocks on rotation.

From February half-term, the students then start the GCSE AQA specification. They begin with the fundamental units of Biology, Chemistry and Physics which underpin most of scientific concepts for the remainder of the course. These will be building on knowledge acquired in year 7-8, and will act as strong foundations of knowledge for units they will go onto the learning in year 10 and 11.

Unit 1 – Forces and Extension – Physics

  • Balanced and unbalanced forces
  • Hooke’s law
  • Investigating Hooke’s law with the extension of a spring
  • Graph skills & line graphs

Unit 2 – Making Salts – Chemistry

  • Acids and alkalis
  • pH indicators + evaluate uses
  • Strength of acids and alkalis
  • Investigating acid and alkaline strength with titrations
  • Using accuracy and precision
  • Making salts from an insoluble base
  • Separating techniques
  • Accuracy and measuring volumes
  • Justification of method

Unit 3 – Digestion and Enzymes – Biology

  • Digestive organs
  • Using models to demonstrate biological processes
  • Enzymes and factors affecting enzyme action
  • Investigating how temperature affect enzyme action
  • Graph skills
  • Investigating emulsification of lipids
  • Investigating food tests
  • Evaluating models
  • Improvements to methods
  • Link observations to scientific definitions
  • Identifying and concluding positive and negative results

Unit 4– Electricity and Circuits – Physics

  • Setting up circuits
  • Circuit diagrams and symbols
  • Justification of method and set up
  • Investigating current and potential difference
  • Calculating resistance
  • Investigating current and in series and parallel circuits
  • Investigating resistance in series and parallel circuits
  • Investigating the different resistance of components
  • Applying and rearranging equations
  • Conclusions and explanations
  • Correcting a method

Unit 5 – Density – Physics

  • Density
  • Calculating volume using measurements and displacement
  • Calculating density
  • Applying and rearranging equations
  • Investigating density of regular and irregular shaped objects
  • Calculating unit conversions
  • Zero and random errors

Unit 6 – Microscopy – Biology

  • Using microscopes
  • Preparing plant cells for microscopy
  • Preparing animal cells for microscopy
  • Calculating magnification
  • Calculating unit conversions
  • Justification of methods

Unit 7 – Rates of Reaction – Chemistry

  • Factors affecting rates of reaction
  • Measuring concentration
  • Investigating concentration on rate of reaction
  • Investigating temperature on rate of reaction
  • Identifying variables
  • Processing data
  • Balancing chemical equations
  • Method writing
  • Calculating gradients and using tangents

Unit 8 – Infrared Radiation – Physics

  • Electromagnetic spectrum
  • Investigating emittance of infrared from different surfaces
  • Investigating emittance of infrared from different materials
  • Comparing thermometers, digital thermometer and infrared meters
  • Categoric and continuous data
  • Identifying variables
  • Resolution of equipment
  • Zero and random errors

Unit 9 – Diffusion and Osmosis – Biology

  • Diffusion
  • Osmosis
  • Active transport
  • Investigating diffusion: colour diffusion
  • Investigating diffusion: effect of surface area
  • Investigating osmosis: effect of concentration on mass of plant material
  • Link observations to scientific definitions
  • Calculating surface area to volume ratios
  • Planning investigations using variables
  • Calculating percentage change

GCSE Unit 1 – Cells Structure, Transport and Division – Biology

  • Microscopes
  • Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
  • Animal, plant and bacterial cells
  • Specialised cells
  • Cell differentiation
  • Diffusion, osmosis and active transport
  • Required practical: osmosis
  • Cell division
  • Stem cells

GCSE Unit 2 – Ecology & Biodiversity – Biology

  • Communities and interdependence
  • Required practical: organism distribution
  • Competition for survival and adaptations
  • Feeding relationships
  • The carbon cycle
  • Human population
  • Land, air and water pollution
  • Deforestation and global warming
  • Maintaining biodiversity

Additional Information

The investigations students carry out during the skills topics are based around the required practicals of GCSE but with variation to allow students the opportunity to see these practicals in a different way and with a broader, more real-life context.

Year 10

A large proportion of the year group study combined sciences which encompasses a broad range of topics for biology, chemistry and physics according to the GCSE combined science specifications. A group of students study separate sciences, which covers additional content for each specialisms; these are highlighted in red in the curriculum map below. Within this, students develop a wide range of mathematical skills and practical skills to plan, deliver and process data from practical investigations.

Unit 1 – Atoms, The Periodic Table & Bonding – Chemistry

  • Separation techniques
  • Atomic structure
  • Historic development of the atomic model
  • The periodic table
  • Historic discoveries of the periodic table
  • States of matter
  • Ions and ionic bonding
  • Covalent bonding and covalent structures
  • Allotropes of carbon
  • Metallic bonding
  • Nanotechnology

Unit 2 – Energy & Energy Generation – Physics

  • Energy transfer
  • Infrared radiation
  • Specific heat capacity
  • Required practical: specific heat capacity
  • Insulation to prevent energy loss
  • Required practical: thermal insulators
  • Energy demands
  • Renewable energy sources

Unit 3 – Diseases and Prevention – Biology

  • Health and disease
  • Pathogens causing disease
  • Required practical: growing bacterial cultures
  • Preventing bacterial growth
  • Preventing infections
  • Viral, bacterial, fungal and protest diseases
  • Human defences
  • Plant diseases and defences
  • Vaccinations
  • Drugs: examples, discovery and development
  • Monoclonal antibodies
  • Non-communicable diseases
  • Lifestyle affecting diseases

Unit 4 – Quantitative Chemistry & Metal Reactions – Chemistry

  • Relative masses and moles
  • Reacting masses calculations
  • Percentage yield and atom economy
  • Concentrations
  • Titrations
  • Required practical: titrations
  • Volumes of gases
  • The reactivity series and displacement reactions
  • Extracting metals
  • Making salts, pH and neutralisation
  • Electrolysis and metal extraction
  • Required practical: electrolysis

Unit 5 – Electrical Circuits and Safety, Matter & Radioactivity – Physics

  • Electrical circuits
  • Electrical components
  • Required practical: Series and parallel circuits
  • Required practical: component characteristics
  • Alternating current and power stations
  • Cables and plugs
  • Electrical power and energy transfer
  • Electrical appliances and efficiency
  • Density
  • Required practical: density
  • Changes of state
  • Internal energy
  • Specific latent heat
  • Gas pressure and temperature
  • Gas pressure and volume
  • Atoms and radiation
  • Radioactive decay
  • Ionising radiation
  • Activity and half-life
  • Nuclear radiation in medicine
  • Nuclear fusion and fission

Unit 6 – Bioenergetics & Homeostasis – Biology

  • Photosynthesis
  • Required practical: rate of photosynthesis
  • Uses of glucose in the plant
  • Industrial plant growth and photosynthesis
  • Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
  • Biotechnology in food and drink
  • Body responses to exercise
  • Metabolism and the liver
  • Homeostasis and negative feedback
  • The nervous system
  • Required practical: measuring reaction time
  • The brain
  • The eye and problems with vision
  • The endocrine system
  • Glucoregulation and diabetes
  • The human reproductive system
  • Controlling fertility and infertility treatments
  • Plant hormones and commercial uses
  • Required practical: measuring the effect of light or gravity on seed germination

Unit 7 – Energy Changes and Rate of Reaction – Chemistry

  • Exothermic and endothermic reactions
  • Required practical: temperature changes
  • Reaction profiles
  • Bond energy calculations
  • Fuels and chemical cells
  • Factors affecting rates of reactions
  • Required practical: Concentration & rate of reaction
  • Reversible reactions
  • Dynamic equilibrium and Le Chatelier’s principle
  • Fractional distillation
  • Combustion and cracking of hydrocarbons

Additional Information

The GCSE course is started in February of year 9 to allow the coverage of all units by April of year 11. The year 10 course continues on from the topics covered at the end of year 9. The topics are sequenced where biology, chemistry and physics topics are interleaved to build on a previous topic covered and to regular revisit each specialism. The topics highlighted in italics are those covered in the separate sciences only.

Year 11

Most of the year group study combined sciences which encompasses a broad range of topics for biology, chemistry and physics according to the GCSE combined science specifications. A group of students study separate science, which covers additional content for each specialisms; these are highlighted in italics in the curriculum map below. Within this, students develop a wide range of mathematical skills and practical skills to plan, deliver and process data from practical investigations. Required practical opportunities are highlighted in bold.

Unit 8 –Rate of Reaction – Chemistry

  • Factors affecting rates of reactions
  • Required practical: Concentration & rate of reaction
  • Reversible reactions
  • Dynamic equilibrium and Le Chatelier’s principle
  • Fractional distillation
  • Combustion and cracking of hydrocarbons

Unit 9 – Forces and Motion – Physics

  • Vector and scalar quantities
  • Resultant forces
  • Moments and levers
  • Equilibrium
  • Parallelogram and resolution of forces
  • Velocity and acceleration
  • Motion graphs
  • Forces and accelerations
  • Terminal velocity
  • Momentum
  • Conservation of momentum
  • Impact forces and safety
  • Forces and elasticity
  • Required practical: force and extension
  • Force and pressure

Unit 10 – Reproduction, Genetics and Evolution – Biology

  • Sexual and asexual reproduction
  • Cell division (meiosis and mitosis)
  • Reproduction in other organisms
  • DNA and the genome
  • Protein synthesis
  • Gene expression and mutations
  • Predicting inheritance
  • Inherited diseases and screening processes
  • Variation in species
  • Evolution and natural selection
  • Selective breeding
  • Genetic engineering
  • Cloning
  • Ethics of gene technologies
  • Theories of evolution
  • Evidence for evolution
  • Antibiotic resistance
  • Classification systems

Unit 11 – Organic Chemistry and Polymers – Chemistry

  • Reactions of alkenes
  • Alcohols and carboxylic acids
  • Esters
  • Polymerisation
  • Natural polymers and DNA

Unit 12 – Chemical Analysis and the Earth’s Atmosphere and Resources – Chemistry

  • Purity of substances
  • Chromatography
  • Required practical: analysing chromatograms
  • Required practical: identifying unknown compounds
  • Testing for gases
  • The earth’s atmosphere (previous and current)
  • Greenhouse gases and climate change
  • Atmospheric pollutants
  • Finite and renewable resources
  • Potable water and water treatment
  • Required practical: analysing water samples
  • Extracting metals from ores and the earth
  • Reduce, reuse and recycle

Unit 13 – Electromagnetic Spectrum and Electromagnetism – Physics

  • Waves
  • Required practical: investigating wave properties
  • Reflection and refraction
  • Properties of light
  • Required practical: reflection and refraction
  • Lenses
  • Sound waves and ultrasound
  • Seismic waves
  • The electromagnetic spectrum and uses
  • Required practical: investigating infrared radiation
  • Communications using waves
  • Waves in medicine
  • Magnetic fields
  • Electromagnets in devices
  • The motor effect
  • The generator effect
  • Transformers

Unit 14 – Ecology and Biodiversity – Biology

  • Communities and interdependence
  • Required practical: organism distribution
  • Competition for survival and adaptations
  • Feeding relationships
  • The carbon cycle
  • Rates of decomposition
  • Required practical: rates of decay
  • Human population
  • Land, air and water pollution
  • Deforestation and global warming
  • Maintaining biodiversity
  • Sustainable living and food production

Unit 15 – Space – Physics

  • Solar system
  • Life-cycle of stars
  • Satellites and orbits
  • The expanding universe
  • Origins of the universe

Additional Information

The GCSE course is started in February of year 9 to allow the coverage of all units by April of year 11. The year 11 course continues on from the topics covered in year 9 and 10. The topics are sequenced where biology, chemistry and physics topics are interleaved to build on a previous topic covered and to regular revisit each specialism. The topics highlighted in red are those covered in the separate sciences only.

 

Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science

Edwin Powell Hubble