Half Term 1

Half Term 2

Half Term 3

• Practical Licence
• Cells 

• Particles
• Forces

• Reproduction
• Atoms, Elements & Compounds

Skills and Knowledge:

Practical Licence:

• Hazards
• Equipment
• Bunsen Burners
• Variables
• Asking Questions (ARK)
• Mean & Range (ARK)
• Analysing Graphs

Cells:

• Animal Cells
• Plant Cells
• Microscopes
• Decimals & Scales
• SI units
• Writing Methods
• Observing Cells
• Specialised Cells
• Organising Cells

Skills and Knowledge:

Particles:

• States of Matter
• Particle Model
• Properties of Matter
• Heating Substances
• Melting & Freezing
• Boiling & Condensing
• Diffusion
• Investigating Diffusion
• Gas Pressure
• Density
• Calculating Density

Forces:

• Forces
• Balanced & Unbalanced
• Accuracy & Precision
• Resultant Forces
• Interaction pairs
• Scales on a Graph
• Spring & Deformation
• Drag Forces & Friction
• Investigating Friction

Skills and Knowledge:

Reproduction:

• Sexual Reproduction
• Asexual Reproduction
• Puberty & Reproductive System
• Menstrual Cycle
• Embryo Development
• Plant Reproduction Practical
• Data & Results in Tables
• Plant Reproduction
• Seed Dispersal

Atoms, Elements & Compounds:

• Elements
• Atoms
• Periodic Table
• metals & Non-metals
• Reactivity of Metals
• Compounds
• Naming Compounds
• Making Iron Sulphide
• Chemical Formulae

Assessment:

Because the sciences are such knowledge-dense subjects, it is imperative that we build in frequent assessment opportunities.  These not only enable teachers to pause and re-teach if misconceptions or knowledge gaps are evident, but also help students become excellent scholars who benefit from the "wash-back" effect of regularly revisiting previously taught content. 

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Practical Licence end of unit checkpoint
• Cells and movement of substances end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Particles end of unit checkpoint
• Forces end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Reproduction end of unit checkpoint
• Atoms, Elements & Compounds: checkpoint

Space

Interdependence

Mixtures

Energy

Electrical Circuits

Skills and Knowledge:

• Gravity
• Mass & Weight
• Keeping in Orbit
• Solar System
• Satellites
• Seasons
• Eclipses

Skills and Knowledge:

Interdependence:

• Ecosystems
• Representative Sampling
• Sampling Investigation
• Line Graphs
• Measuring Plant
• Distribution
• Measuring Plant
• Distribution Analysis
• Food Chains & Webs
• Trophic levels
• Biotic & Abiotic Factors

Mixtures: 

• Mixtures
• Solutions
• Melting, Boiling point & Purity
• Separation of Mixtures
• Filtration &
  Crystallization
• Fractional Distillation
• Chromatography

 Skills and Knowledge:

Energy:

• Energy
• Energy Stores
• Energy Transfers
• Energy in Food
• Wasted Energy
• Efficiency
• Heat, Temperature & Thermal Energy
• Temperature & particles
• Conductors & Insulators

Electrical Circuits:

• Models of Electricity
• Series & Parallel
• Current
• Circuit Components
• Measuring Current
• Measuring Voltage
• Drawing Conclusions

Assessment:

Because the sciences are such knowledge-dense subjects, it is imperative that we build in frequent assessment opportunities.  These not only enable teachers to pause and re-teach if misconceptions or knowledge gaps are evident, but also help students become excellent scholars who benefit from the "wash-back" effect of regularly revisiting previously taught content. 

Assessment

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Space end of unit checkpoint

Assessment

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Interdependence end of unit checkpoint
• Mixtures end of unit checkpoint

Assessment

• end of year assessment

Half Term 1

Half Term 2

Half Term 3

• Tissues & Organs 
• Acids & Alkalis

• Movement & Pressure
• Respiration & Photosynthesis

• Changing Substances
• Magnetism

Skills and Knowledge:

Tissues & Organs 

• Skeletal & Muscular System
• Investigating Muscle Strength
• Respiratory System
• Mechanism of Breathing
• Gas Exchange
• Medicinal Drugs
• Recreational Drugs
• Organ Donation Debate

 Acids & Alkalis

• pH scale
• Indicators
• Indicators Practical
• Neutralisation
• Making Salts
• Writing Methods
• Acids & Metal Carbonates
• Making Salts form Metals Carbonates

Skills and Knowledge:

Movement & Pressure

• Speed
• Changing Speed
• Distance-Time Graph
• Using Distance Time Graphs
• Application of Pressure
• Pressure
• Moments

Respiration & Photosynthesis

• Lifestyle Habits & Risks
• Aerobic Respiration
• Anaerobic Respiration
• Exercise & Respiration
• Investigating Muscle Fatigue
• Use of Anaerobic Respiration
• Photosynthesis
• Investigating Photosynthesis
• Investigating Photosynthesis
• Analysis
• Plant Adaptations
• Non Photosynthetic Plants
• Biodome

Skills and Knowledge:

Changing Substances 

• Chemical Changes
• Conservation of Mass
• Introduction to balanced Equations
• Balancing Equations
• Oxidation & Reduction
• Burning Magnesium
• Reactions of Acids
• Testing for Gases

Magnetism

• Magnetism
• Magnetic Fields
• Electromagnets
• Investigating
• Electromagnets
• Investigating
• Electromagnets Analysis
• Earths Magnetic Field

Assessment:

Because the sciences are such knowledge-dense subjects, it is imperative that we build in frequent assessment opportunities.  These not only enable teachers to pause and re-teach if misconceptions or knowledge gaps are evident, but also help students become excellent scholars who benefit from the "wash-back" effect of regularly revisiting previously taught content. 

Assessment

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Tissues & Organs  end of unit checkpoint
• Acids & Alkalis end of unit checkpoint

Assessment

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Movement & Pressure end of unit checkpoint
• Respiration & Photosynthesis end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Changing Substances end of unit checkpoint
• Magnetism end of unit checkpoint

• Life Diversity
• Earths Systems

• Resistance
• Nutrition

• Light

Skills and Knowledge:

• Variation
• Inheritance
• Fractions
• Percentages
• Artificial Selection
• Natural Selection
• Evolution
• Human Impact on Natural Selection

Earths Systems

• Igneous Rocks
• Sedimentary Rocks
• Metamorphic Rocks
• Rock Cycle
• Water Cycle
• Water & Living Things
• Air Pollution

Skills and Knowledge:

• Resistance
• Significant Figures
• Ohms Law
• Proportionality
• Remeasuring Resistance
• Resistance in a Wire
• Resistance in Series & Parallel
• Application of Resistance

Nutrition

• Diet & Nutrition
• Food Tests
• Food Samples
• Digestive System
• Small Intestine
• Models in the Digestive System
• Enzymes
• Digestive Enzymes
• Investigating Amylase
• Plant Nutrition

Skills and Knowledge:

• Light
• Angles
• Reflection
• Refraction
• Observing Refraction
• Lenses
• Colour

Assessment:

Because the sciences are such knowledge-dense subjects, it is imperative that we build in frequent assessment opportunities.  These not only enable teachers to pause and re-teach if misconceptions or knowledge gaps are evident, but also help students become excellent scholars who benefit from the "wash-back" effect of regularly revisiting previously taught content. 

Assessment

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Life Diversity end of unit checkpoint
• Earths Systems end of unit checkpoint

Assessment

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Resistance end of unit checkpoint
• Nutrition end of unit checkpoint

Assessment

• End of year assessment

Half Term 1

Half Term 2

Half Term 3

• Cell biology
•  Atomic structure and the periodic table
• Energy

• Cell Organisation
• Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter

•  Electricity
•  Infection and response

Skills and Knowledge:

Cell biology

• Cell structure
• Eukaryotes and prokaryotes
• Animal and plant cells
• Cell specialisation
• Cell differentiation
• Microscopy
• Cell division
• Chromosomes
• Mitosis and the cell cycle
• Stem cells
• Transport in cells
• Diffusion
• Osmosis
• Active transport

Atomic structure and the periodic table

• A simple model of the atom, symbols, relative atomic mass, electronic charge and isotopes
• Atoms, elements and compounds
• Mixtures
• The development of the model of the atom 
• Relative electrical charges of subatomic particles
• Size and mass of atoms
• Relative atomic mass
• Electronic structure
• The periodic table
• Development of the periodic table
• Metals and non-metals
• Group 0, 1 and 7

Energy

• Energy stores and systems
• Changes in energy
• Energy changes in systems
• Power
• Conservation and dissipation of energy
• Energy transfers in a system
• Efficiency
• National and global energy resources

Skills and Knowledge:

Cell Organisation

• Principles of organisation
• Animal tissues, organs and organ systems
• The human digestive system
• The heart and blood vessels
• Blood
• Coronary heart disease: a non-communicable disease
• Health issues
• The effect of lifestyle on some non-communicable diseases
• Cancer
• Plant tissues, organs and systems
• Plant tissues
• Plant organ system

Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter

• Chemical bonds
• Ionic bonding
• Ionic compounds
• Covalent bonding
• Metallic bonding
• How bonding and structure are related to the properties of substances
• The three states of matter
• State symbols
• Properties of ionic compounds
• Properties of small molecules
• Polymers
• Giant covalent structures
• Properties of metals and alloys
• Metals as conductors
• Structure and bonding of carbon
• Diamond
• Graphite
• Graphene and fullerenes

Skills and Knowledge:

 Electricity

• Current, potential difference and resistance
• Standard circuit diagram symbols
• Electrical charge and current
• Current, resistance and potential difference
• Resistors
• Series and parallel circuits
• Domestic uses and safety
• Direct and alternating potential difference
• Mains electricity
• Energy transfers
• Power
• Energy transfers in everyday appliances
• The National Grid

 Infection and response

• Communicable diseases
• Communicable (infectious) diseases
• Viral diseases
• Bacterial diseases
• Fungal diseases
• Protist diseases
• Human defence systems
• Vaccination
• Antibiotics and painkillers
• Discovery and development of drugs

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Cell biology end of unit checkpoint
• Atomic structure and the periodic table end of unit checkpoint
• Energy end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Cell Organisation end of unit checkpoint
• Bonding, structure, and the properties of matter end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Electricity end of unit checkpoint
• Infection and response end of unit checkpoint

Half Term 4

Half Term 5

Half Term 6

• Quantitative chemistry
• Particle model of matter
• Bioenergetics

• Chemical changes
• Atomic structure

• Homeostasis and response
• Energy changes

Skills and Knowledge:

Quantitative chemistry

• Conservation of mass and balanced chemical equations
• Relative formula mass
• Mass changes when a reactant or product is a gas
• Chemical measurements
• Use of amount of substance in relation to masses of pure substances
• Moles (Higher Tier only)
• Amounts of substances in equations (Higher Tier only)
• Using moles to balance equations (Higher Tier only)
• Limiting reactants (Higher Tier only)
• Concentration of solutions

Particle model of matter

• Changes of state and the particle model
• Density of materials
• Internal energy and energy transfers
• Internal energy
• Temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacity
• Changes of state and specific latent heat
• Particle model and pressure
• Particle motion in gases

Bioenergetics

• Photosynthetic reaction
• Rate of photosynthesis
• Respiration
• Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
• Response to exercise
• Metabolism

Skills and Knowledge:

Chemical changes

• Reactivity of metals
• Metal oxides
• The reactivity series
• Extraction of metals and reduction
• Oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons (Higher Tier only)
• Reactions of acids with metals
• Neutralisation of acids and salt production
• Soluble salts
• The pH scale and neutralisation
• Strong and weak acids (Higher Tier only)
• The process of electrolysis
• Electrolysis of molten ionic compounds
• Using electrolysis to extract metals
• Electrolysis of aqueous solutions
• Representation of reactions at electrodes as half equations (Higher Tier only)

Atomic structure

• Atoms and isotopes
• The structure of an atom
• Mass number, atomic number and isotopes
• The development of the model of the atom
• Atoms and nuclear radiation
• Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation
• Nuclear equations
• Half-lives and the random nature of radioactive decay
• Radioactive contamination

Skills and Knowledge:

Homeostasis and response

• Homeostasis
• The human nervous system
• Hormonal coordination in humans
• Human endocrine system
• Control of blood glucose concentration
• Hormones in human reproduction
• Contraception
• The use of hormones to treat infertility (Higher Tier only)
• Feedback systems (Higher Tier only)

Energy changes

• Exothermic and endothermic reactions
• Energy transfer during exothermic and endothermic reactions
• Reaction profiles
• The energy change of reactions (Higher Tier only)

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Quantitative chemistry end of unit checkpoint
• Particle model of matter end of unit checkpoint
• Bioenergetics end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Chemical changes end of unit checkpoint
• Atomic structure end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• end of year assessment

Half Term 1

Half Term 2

Half Term 3

• Forces
• Inheritance, variation and evolution

• The rate and extent of chemical change
• Waves

• Ecology
• Organic chemistry
• Magnetism and electromagnetism

Skills and Knowledge:

Forces

• Forces and their interactions
• Scalar and vector quantities
• Contact and non-contact forces
• Gravity
• Resultant forces
• Work done and energy transfer
• Forces and elasticity
• Forces and motion
• Describing motion along a line
• Distance and displacement
• Speed
• Velocity
• The distance–time relationship
• Acceleration
• Forces, accelerations and Newton's Laws of motion
• Newton's First Law
• Newton's Second Law
• Newton's Third Law
• Forces and braking
• Stopping distance
• Reaction time
• Factors affecting braking distance 
• Momentum (Higher Tier only)
• Momentum is a property of moving objects
• Conservation of momentum

Inheritance, variation and evolution

• Reproduction
• Sexual and asexual reproduction
• Meiosis
• DNA and the genome
• Genetic inheritance
• Inherited disorders
• Sex determination
• Variation
• Evolution
• Selective breeding
• Genetic engineering
• The development of understanding of genetics and evolution
• Evidence for evolution
• Fossils
• Extinction
• Resistant bacteria
• Classification of living organisms

Skills and Knowledge:

The rate and extent of chemical change

• Calculating rates of reactions

• Factors which affect the rates of chemical reactions

• Collision theory and activation energy

• Catalysts

• Reversible reactions

• Energy changes and reversible reactions

• Equilibrium

• The effect of changing conditions on equilibrium (Higher Tier only)

• The effect of changing concentration (Higher Tier only)

• The effect of temperature changes on equilibrium (Higher Tier only)

• The effect of pressure changes on equilibrium (Higher Tier only)

Waves

• Waves in air, fluids and solids
• Transverse and longitudinal wave
• Properties of waves
• Electromagnetic waves
• Types of electromagnetic waves
• Properties of electromagnetic waves
• Uses and applications of electromagnetic waves

Skills and Knowledge:

Ecology

• Adaptations, interdependence and competition
• Communities
• Abiotic factors
• Biotic factors
• Adaptations
• Organisation of an ecosystem
• Levels of organisation
• How materials are cycled
• Biodiversity and the effect of human interaction on ecosystems
• Biodiversity
• Waste management
• Land use
• Deforestation
• Global warming
• Maintaining biodiversity

Organic chemistry

• Carbon compounds as fuels and feedstock
• Crude oil, hydrocarbons and alkanes
• Fractional distillation and petrochemicals
• Properties of hydrocarbons
• Cracking and alkenes

Magnetism and electromagnetism

• Permanent and induced magnetism, magnetic forces and fields
• Poles of a magnet
• Magnetic fields
• The motor effect
• Electromagnetism
• Fleming's left-hand rule (Higher Tier only)
• Electric motors (Higher Tier only)

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Forces end of unit checkpoint
• Inheritance, variation and evolution end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• The rate and extent of chemical change end of unit checkpoint
• Waves end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Ecology end of unit checkpoint
• Organic chemistry end of unit checkpoint
• Magnetism and electromagnetism end of unit checkpoint

Half Term 4

Half Term 5 and 6

No new content will be taught at this point in the course. Instead, class teachers will adapt taught revision to respond to the individual needs of learners. Students will sit their GCSE examinations during this term.

• Chemical analysis
• Chemistry of the atmosphere
• Using resources

Skills and Knowledge:

Chemical analysis

• Purity, formulations and chromatography
• Pure substances
• Formulations
• Chromatography
• Identification of common gases
• Test for hydrogen
• Test for oxygen
• Test for carbon dioxide
• Test for chlorine

Chemistry of the atmosphere

• The composition and evolution of the Earth's atmosphere
• The proportions of different gases in the atmosphere
• The Earth's early atmosphere
• How oxygen increased
• How carbon dioxide decreased
• Carbon dioxide and methane as greenhouse gases
• Greenhouse gases
• Human activities which contribute to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
• Global climate change
• The carbon footprint and its reduction
• Common atmospheric pollutants and their sources
• Atmospheric pollutants from fuels
• Properties and effects of atmospheric pollutants

Using resources

• Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water
• Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development
• Potable water
• Waste water treatment
• Alternative methods of extracting metals (Higher Tier only)
• Life cycle assessment
• Ways of reducing the use of resources

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Chemical analysis end of unit checkpoint
• Chemistry of the atmosphere end of unit checkpoint
• Using resources end of unit checkpoint

Half Term 1

Half Term 2

Half Term 3

• Energy

• Electricity

• Particle model of matter

Skills and Knowledge:

• Energy stores and systems
• Changes in energy
• Energy changes in systems
• Power
• Conservation and dissipation of energy
• Energy transfers in a system
• Efficiency
• National and global energy resources

Skills and Knowledge:

• Current, potential difference and resistance
• Standard circuit diagram symbols
• Electrical charge and current
• Current, resistance and potential difference
• Resistors
• Series and parallel circuits
• Domestic uses and safety
• Direct and alternating potential difference
• Mains electricity
• Energy transfers
• Power
• Energy transfers in everyday appliances
• The National Grid
• Static electricity
• Static charge
• Electric fields

Skills and Knowledge:

• Changes of state and the particle model
• Density of materials
• Changes of state
• Internal energy and energy transfers
• Internal energy
• Temperature changes in a system and specific heat capacity
• Changes of state and specific latent heat
• Particle model and pressure
• Particle motion in gases
• Pressure in gases
• Increasing the pressure of a gas  (Higher Tier only)

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Energy end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Electricity end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Particle model of matter end of unit checkpoint

Half Term 4

Half Term 5

Half Term 6

• Atomic structure

• Forces

• Forces (continued) and Waves

Skills and Knowledge:

• Atoms and isotopes
• The structure of an atom
• Mass number, atomic number and isotopes
• The development of the model of the atom
• Atoms and nuclear radiation
• Radioactive decay and nuclear radiation
• Nuclear equations
• Half-lives and the random nature of radioactive decay
• Radioactive contamination
• Hazards and uses of radioactive emissions and of background radiation
• Background radiation
• Different half-lives of radioactive isotopes
• Uses of nuclear radiation
• Nuclear fission and fusion
• Nuclear fission
• Nuclear fusion

Skills and Knowledge:

• Forces and their interactions
• Scalar and vector quantities
• Contact and non-contact forces
• Gravity
• Resultant forces
• Work done and energy transfer
• Forces and elasticity
• Moments, levers and gears
• Pressure and pressure differences in fluids
• Pressure in a fluid
• Atmospheric pressure
• Forces and motion
• Describing motion along a line
• Distance and displacement
• Speed
• Velocity
• The distance–time relationship
• Acceleration
• Forces, accelerations and Newton's Laws of motion
• Newton's First Law
• Newton's Second Law
• Newton's Third Law
• Forces and braking
• Stopping distance
• Reaction time
• Factors affecting braking distance 

Skills and Knowledge:

Forces (continued)

• Momentum (Higher Tier only)
• Momentum is a property of moving objects
• Conservation of momentum
• Changes in momentum

Waves

• Waves in air, fluids and solids
• Transverse and longitudinal wave
• Properties of waves
• Reflection of waves
• Sound waves
• Waves for detection and exploration
• Electromagnetic waves
• Types of electromagnetic waves
• Properties of electromagnetic waves
• Uses and applications of electromagnetic waves
• Lenses
• Visible light
• Black body radiation
• Emission and absorption of infrared radiation
• Perfect black bodies and radiation

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Atomic structure end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• Weekly retrieval activity
• Forces end of unit checkpoint

Assessment:

• End of year assessment