At St Edward’s, our Science curriculum will equip our students with the knowledge and skills to be confident in asking… “Why?”

Curriculum Intent

In Science we have built a curriculum that has curiosity at its heart. We want our students to strive for a deeper understanding of our world and everything that makes it what it is and work the way it does. We seek to challenge the thinking/ideas of our students so that they can truly value the awe and wonder that surrounds them and encourage them to be grateful for it.

In each year at St Edward's, students will learn about cause and effect through investigations, develop models and use them to describe invisible phenomena that we can see the effect of, but not the witness the process itself. Additionally, they will consider the rights and wrongs of science, past and present, to help ensure that their futures are full of choices that will bear fruit and enrich their lives in a positive way.

As Science teachers, we educate students so that they can observe, question and investigate independently in order to take ownership of their knowledge and skills. To use science to make informed decisions that can make the world a better place and help them to live a life that is blessed with health and happiness as they do so.

Course Contact

Mr Steve Dell
Science Subject Leader

Key Stage Three

At Key Stage Three, students study the National Curriculum for Science. They will learn through the completion of a range of topics that focus on a specific science discipline of either chemistry, biology or physics that will be assessed by end of topic tests. Alongside these, students in Science will work to achieve their Science Proficiency. A scheme which builds on their practical lab skills, using equipment and their approaches to conducting scientific investigations to develop an appreciation for relationships between variables and form conclusions that complement the theoretical concepts they will learn.

In Year 7 students will identify the evidence and implications of microscopic arrangements that are the foundations of both living and non-living matter such as the cause of movement of living and non-living things on a macroscopic and microscopic scale.

In Year 8 students will identify how energy is transferred form one store to another and how it can be usefully used. Students will develop their understanding of control in both plants and animals such that they can describe the material and energy uses in both systems. Students will continue to develop their investigative skills in the context through practical investigations to support theory development and celebrate them in The Curiosity Show at the end of the year.

In Year 9 students will begin their GCSE Combined Science GCSE courses. This allows students making good progress to embark on the Triple Science course when they reach Year 11 and gain an extra GCSE qualification.

Key Stage Four

Combined Science

Science is a compulsory core subject at KS4. Students will follow the AQA GCSE specification for combined science which assesses across biology, chemistry and physics. Students will have the opportunity to learn about how living organisms grow, change and control their internal conditions. They will discover how and why chemicals react. They will learn about the fundamental forces that control the way objects move and the way in which electricity is used.  

Students will be able to develop their practical skills and complete experiments to further develop their understanding of the key concepts that underpin the subjects. Students will also complete compulsory practical work which will be assessed across all examination papers in the summer of Year 11. 

As each course is comprised of topics from biology, chemistry and physics, students will gain a broad foundation in science. Students will need to display a similar ability in each subject as the two GCSE grades awarded at the end of the course contain marks from each subject area. The course can be followed at either foundation or higher tier and the suitability for a student to follow a particular route will be made based upon the evidence gathered in Year 10 and finalised in Year 11.

Method of Assessment

Exam board: AQA 

Assessment structure: 100% written examination 

Exam structure: 6 x 1 hour 15-minute written exams each of 70 marks in the summer of Year 11 (two papers from each of biology, chemistry and physics.) Exams completed at either Higher or Foundation tier.

Triple Science

Nationally the Triple Science programme is regarded as being a very demanding course which comprises the Combined Science content along with extension content. The Biology extension material looks in more detail at the way our bodies are regulated and the way humans interact with the environment. The Chemistry material includes greater focus on energy changes in chemical reactions and using the periodic properties to describe trends and patterns in chemical reactions. The Physics extension material includes using light and the natural phenomena of how light behaves along with describing electrical transfer in more detail. 

Students that are invited to select the Triple Science option (based upon their prior attainment in Science) will follow all three sciences so that the GCSEs awarded recognise achievement in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students cannot drop any one subject; each must be followed throughout Years 10 and 11. 

Students that select this course as an option will need to be prepared for a significant part of the timetable to be filled by science subjects (one or two lessons most days) and they should display both a strong aptitude and passion for the subject.

Method of Assessment

Exam Board: AQA 

Assessment structure: 100% written examination

Exam structure: 6x 1 hour 45 minutes written exams each comprised of 100 marks in the summer of Year 11 (two papers from each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.)

Key Stage Five

A Level Biology

The work of biologists increases our understanding about the natural world in which we live and helps us address issues of personal well being and worldwide concern, such as environmental change, threats to human health, and maintaining viable and abundant food supplies. Being an AQA course it also continues with the same style as the GCSE Science that is taught at St Edward’s with a combination of written end of course examinations and centre assessed practical work.

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A Level Chemistry

This course is proving to be an excellent grounding in Chemical Sciences. Being an AQA course it also continues with the same style as the GCSE Science that is taught at St Edward’s with a combination of written end of course examinations and centre assessed practical work. The early topics review content covered at GCSE and incorporate new concepts to develop understanding.

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A Level Physics

From an early stage in this course you will be challenged to reassess what you think of as reality as you develop an understanding of the quantum and relativistic theories of modern Physics. What did Albert Einstein mean when he said ‘God does not play dice.’? What actually is the nature of the light by which we see the world? Coming to terms with intellectual challenges such as these is what makes Physics a highly regarded academic subject.

Alongside this you will develop the practical skills and working knowledge that enables Physicists to design, build and use many of the advanced features of the modern world. Energy, forces, waves, motion, and electricity are all classic elements of this course with applications to a wide range of situations. It is this knowledge and skill set that makes Physicists popular with a very wide range of employers.

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Future Pathways

Science qualifications are a central part of the EBacc and attainment 8 measures. The grades students attain will support further study at A level and access to other education programmes. Students can progress onto A levels in sciences from these two science qualifications including biology, chemistry, physics and psychology. Students will need to sit all examinations at higher tier to gain the entry requirements for A level study in the sciences.

Students that follow the Triple Science course will no doubt want to continue to study sciences at A Level and possibly see a career pathway in science. The course supports the transition from GCSE to A Level in Biology, Chemistry and Physics as the extension topics are all seen again in the first topics of A Level study. Students that wish to follow career pathways linked to the sciences such as Medicine, Engineering, Conservation and Ecology, Marine Studies and Chemical Engineering or similar professions should consider selecting this option should their prior attainment indicate they will cope with the demand of this challenging course.

Student Testimonials

“What I enjoy most about Science is that it allows me to understand why things happen around us on a deeper level and answer the questions about the world and universe we live in.”

Jacob, KS3 Science student

“What I enjoy most about Science is that it helps me to understand the world around me and challenges me more than other subjects which enables me to expand my knowledge greatly.”

Natalia, KS4 Science student