Science
Science is not included in the Year 8 options process, all students will study the same science course in Year 9.
What is the exam board and specification?
AQA GCSE Science (option of Separate or Combined Science courses) https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse
What is this subject?
Science is a Core subject and will be studied by all students in designated lessons for Biology, Chemistry and Physics from Y10 onwards.
The two assessment routes available are:
Separate Science (where a qualification is gained in each individual science subject)
and Combined Science (where two grades are awarded, based on a slightly reduced amount of content covered across all 3 subjects).
This means in both routes students study all three sciences, which route they are chosen for will be determined based on their End of Topic Tests, Milestone Tests and End of Year Exams.
What will you study?
Some of the core topics from each subject (in both qualifications) are outlined below:
Biology: Genetics; Health and Disease; Ecology and Variation and Evolution.
Chemistry: Atomic structure and the periodic table; Bonding, structure and the properties of matter; Reaction rates and Chemistry of the atmosphere.
Physics: Energy; Waves; Electromagnetism; Particle model of matter; and Atomic structure.
How will you be assessed?
There are no controlled assessments in GCSE Science qualifications, grades are awarded entirely through examinations at the end of Year 11. All students will take 6 exams: 2 exam papers for each science.
In the Combined Science course, each of these exams is 1h15 in duration. (All papers are equally weighted to inform the final two grades awarded)
In the Separate Science course, each of these exams is 1h45 in duration. (Both papers are equally weighted to inform the grade awarded for each science)
What future opportunities can I have with this subject?
All students who meet the entry requirements for A Level science courses will be able to study them in our 6th form. Students entering A-Level science courses after studying Combined Science at GCSE will require slightly higher grades than those entering from the Separate Science course.
The skills gained through studying and attaining strong grades in science at GCSE (and the further qualifications that follow) can lead onto many careers, including medicine, engineering, scientific research/academia and architecture among many others.
Who should I contact for further information?
Ms P Kaur, Head of Science, p.kaur@kwschool.co.uk
