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Science
Biology is about understanding the living world and our role within it. The more we learn about biology the more we understand the delicate interactions within ecosystems and the capacity that we have to bring about change. As we discover and explore the complexity in biology that surrounds us, we can appreciate the beauty in nature and we can see the possibilities to cure diseases, to protect our planet and truly appreciate what life is.
Chemistry is important because everything we do is chemistry. Everything around us is made of chemicals: our houses, our clothes, our mobile phones. Even we are made of chemicals. Chemical reactions are happening when we breathe, eat or just sit there reading or watching television. All matter is made of chemicals, so the importance of chemistry is that it is the study of chemistry. In the end, we are a bunch of atoms, trying to understand other atoms.
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its motion and behaviour through space and time and the related entities of energy and force. Physics is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines and its main goal is to understand how the universe behaves.
Year 7
Autumn Term
Safety and practical science.
Particles.
Elements, atoms, and compounds.
Energy.
Cells.
Body systems.
Spring Term
Separation techniques
Forces.
Reproduction.
Motion and Speed.
Chemical reactions.
Summer Term
Chemical reactions.
Acids and alkalis.
Space.
Year 8
Autumn Term
Periodic table.
Metals and acids.
Materials.
Electricity and magnetism.
Digestion and nutrients.
Spring Term
Sound, EM and light.
Smoking and drugs.
Infection and disease.
Earth chemistry.
Summer Term
Ecosystem and adaptations.
Inheritance.
Pressure.
Year 9
Autumn Term
Cell structure and transport
Key concepts: cell organelles and microscopy, transport across membranes via diffusion, osmosis and active transport.
Atomic Structure
Key concepts: History and structure of the atom, chemical equations, separation techniques, Ions atoms and isotopes, electronic structures.
Particle Model of Matter
Key concepts: understanding and critiquing scientific models, density, changes of state, heating and cooling, pressure.
Spring Term
Cell division, digestion, and circulation
Key concepts: mitosis and the role of stem cells, enzymes and physiology of the digestive system, blood and the heart.
Structure and Bonding
Key concepts: States of matter, ionic and covalent bonding, bonding in metals.
Atomic Structure
Key concepts: internal structure of the atom, history of the development of the atom, radioactive decay, transmutation, half-life, fission/fusion (triple only).
Summer Term
Lungs and gas exchange, adaptations, interdependence and competition
Key concepts: gas exchange and ventilation, animal and plant survival adaptions, distribution and abundance, material cycling.
Periodic table and Chemical calculation
Key concepts: Development of the periodic table, alkali metals, halogens and explaining trends. Equation and calculations.
Energy
Key concepts: energy stores and transfers, conservation of energy, energy calculations, efficiency, reducing unwanted energy transfers, specific heat capacity and specific latent heat.
Year 10
Autumn Term
Plants and photosynthesis/ Communicable diseases
Key concepts: plant anatomy, transpiration and photosynthesis. The water cycle. Diseases and the body defence mechanisms.
Chemical changes and Electrolysis
Key concepts: Reactivity series, displacement reactions, extracting metals, salts, neutralisation, electrolysis.
Electricity
Key concepts: circuit symbols and drawings, current, potential difference, charge, IV characteristics of key components, series and parallel circuits, static (triple only).
Spring Term
Non-communicable diseases and respiration
Key concepts: lifestyle impacts on body functions including effects of smoking, alcohol and exercise on the body. The role of respiration in multicellular organisms.
Energy changes and chemical calculations
Key concepts: Exo and endthermic reactions, reaction profiles, bond energy calculation.
Electricity Forces
Key concepts: mains electricity, plugs, AC/DC, national grid, scalar and vector quantities, resultant forces, Newton’s laws, Hooke’s law.
Summer Term
The nervous system and hormonal coordination
Key concepts: The structure of the nervous system including reflexes. The role of hormones in homeostasis and controlling human fertility.
Rates and equilibrium
Key concepts: rate of reactions and collision theory, effects of temperature, pressure and catalysts, equilibrium and reversible reactions.
Forces
Key concepts: graphs of motion, momentum, braking and stopping distance, road safety.
Year 11
Autumn Term
Reproduction, variation and evolution
Key concepts: Meiosis and gamete production. The structure and function of DNA. Types of reproduction. Principles of inheritance using examples of genetic diseases. Evidence for and the process of evolution.
Rates and equilibrium, and Crude oil and fuels
Key concepts: Altering conditions, hydrocarbons, factional distillation, burning hydrocarbons, cracking hydrocarbons.
Waves Magnetism
Key concepts: wave basics, wave properties, wave equation, ripple tank and waves in a solid, electromagnetic spectrum, uses and dangers of EM waves, reflection and refraction. Basic magnets, magnetic fields, solenoids and electromagnets, motor effect and generator effect. Application of motor effect.
Spring Term
Revision of required practical
Atmosphere and resources/ Revision of required practicals
Key concepts: history and evolution of our atmosphere, greenhouse gases and climate change, pollutants, water, lifecycle, and metal extraction.
Space (Triple ONLY) Revision
Key concepts: solar system, satellites, life cycle of a star, redshift, big bang. Revision of all topics from years 9 – 11.
Summer Term
Revision.
Year 12
Autumn Term
Biological molecules, Cells and cell transport, Enzymes and digestion
Key concepts: carbohydrates, monomers and polymers, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and water. Cell ultrastructure, facilitated diffusion, active transport and osmosis. Digestive enzymes and carbohydrate absorption.
Atomic Structure, Bonding, Amount of substance and periodicity
Key concepts: relative mass, shells and subshells, the mole, formulae, equations, ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, shapes of molecules and element properties.
Particles and Radiation Errors and Measurements EM Radiation and Quantum Phenomena Mechanics
Key concepts: particle zoo, particle interactions, photoelectric effect, wave particle-duality, resolving vectors, moments, graphs of motion, motion equations, projectiles, energy
Spring Term
Substance exchange and transport, DNA and cell division/ Immunity/ Mutations and genetic drift
Key concepts: Mass transport -translocation and circulation, gas exchange in insects, fish and mammal. Cell mediated and humoral immunity. DNA and protein synthesis and the impact of mutations
Introduction to organic chemistry, alkanes and halogenalkanes, energetics and kinetics
Key concepts: types of formulae, naming organic compounds, reaction mechanisms, cracking, alkanes, exothermic and endothermic reactions, enthalpy changes collision theory
Waves Materials
Key concepts: progressive waves, superposition, stationary waves, resonance, diffraction, interference, refractive index, total internal reflection. Density, Hooke’s Law, Stress and Strain, Youngs Modulus
Summer Term
Species and taxonomy/ Biodiversity and photosynthesis
Key concepts: genetic diversity including genetic drift, genetic bottlenecks and the founder effect. Speciation and natural selection. Measuring diversity and taxonomy
Alcohols, Analytical techniques, equlibria, thermodynamics and aromatics
Key concepts: ethanol production and reactions of alcohols, spectrometry and spectroscopy, dynamic equilibria, Born-Haber cycles, benzene structure and reactions
Electricity
Key concepts: current, potential difference, resistance, IV characteristics, resistivity, emf and internal resistance, potential dividers
Year 13
Autumn Term
Respiration, Energy, ecosystems and nutrient cycling, Inheritance and the nervous system
Key concepts: light dependent and light independent reaction. Chemiosmosis and the electron transfer system. Glycolysis, link and Krebs cycle. Nutrient cycles and energy transfer. Nerve impulses, stimuli and response. Nervous coordination. Principles on mendelian inheritance inc. dihybrid crosses, epistasis, linkage and the Hardy Weinburg principle.
More kinetics, acids and bases, carbonyl and optical isomerism, amines, and polymers
Key concepts: Dissociation and pH, ammonia, types of polmers, chirality and optical isomerism, rate constants.
Further Mechanics Thermal Physics Electric Fields Gravitational Fields Nuclear Physics
Key concepts: circular motion, centripetal force, simple harmonic motion, gas laws, ideal gas equation, kinetic theory, kinetic energy of a gas molecule, gravitational fields, field strength, gravitational potential, orbits, electric fields, electric potential, rutherford scattering, nuclear radius, nuclear radiation, law of decay, half-life, mass defect and binding energy, fission, fusion and nuclear reactors.
Spring Term
Muscles, homoeosatsis, evolution and the control of gene expression
Key concepts: muscle contraction and the role of actin and myosin. Evolution and speciation and the control of gene expression. Gene technology including DNA probes and DNA fingerprinting.
Structure determination and organic synthesis, electrochemical cells, transition metals
Key concepts: NMR and chromatogaphy, Oxidation states and half reactions, multistep organic synthesis, properties of transition metals.
Capacitors Magnetic Fields Turning Points
Key concepts: energy stirred in capacitors, dielectrics, charging and discharging, time constants, magnetic fluc density, EM induction, flux linkage, Faraday and Lenz’s law, alternating current, transformers. Electrons, specific charge on electrons, Millikans’ Oil drop, Light – Newton vs Huygens, Photoelectric effect and wave-particle duality, electron microscopes, Michelson Morley, Special relativity.
Summer Term
Revision.
