Curriculum:
Autumn Term:
Click to Expand Biology Content:
Animal Coordination, Control and Homeostasis
Key Concepts
  • What Hormones Are, Where They Are Produced And The Names Of Some Target Organs
  • The Effect Of Thyroxine On Metabolic Rate, How A Negative Feedback Mechanism Can Control The Amount Of Thyroxine In The Blood And How Adrenalin Prepares The Body For 'Fight Or Flight'
  • Explaining The Menstrual Cycle, The Roles Of Oestrogen And Progesterone, And How Hormones And Barrier Methods Can Be Used As Contraception
  • How Hormones Control The Menstrual Cycle, Prevent Pregnancy And Increase The Chance Of Pregnancy
  • Explaining What Homeostasis Is, How Blood Glucose Concentration Is Regulated And How Type 1 Diabetes Can Be Controlled
  • How Type 2 Diabetes Is Caused, Controlled And Correlates To Body Mass
Key Vocabulary
Adrenal Gland, Endocrine Gland, Hormone System, Ovary, Pancreas, Pituitary Gland, Sex Hormone, Target Organ, Testis, Thyroid Gland, Adrenalin, Fight-or-flight Response, Glycogen, Metabolic Rate, Negative Feedback, Resting Metabolic Rate, Thyroxine, Contraception, Fertilisation, Menopause, Menstrual Cycle, Oestrogen, Ovulation, Period, Pregnancy, Progesterone, Puberty, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), Clomiphene Therapy, Corpus Luteum, Egg Follicle, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) Luteinising Hormone, Diabetes, Glucagon, Homeostasis, Insulin, Type 1 Diabetes, Body Mass Index (BMI), Correlation, Type 2 Diabetes
Exchange and Transport in Animals
Key Concepts
  • The Efficient Transport And Exchange Of Substances In The Body
  • The Circulatory System
  • Parts Of The Heart And How They Work
  • Cellular Respiration
Key Vocabulary
Aerobic Respiration, Alveolus, Capillary, Circulatory System, Diffusion, Excretion, Gas Exchange, Metabolism, Multicellular Organism, Urea, Antibody, Artery, Blood, Erythrocyte, Haemoglobin, Heart, Lymphocyte, Phagocyte, Plasma, Platelet, Pulse, Red Blood Cell, Valve, Vein, White Blood Cell, Aorta, Atrium, Cardiac Output, Chamber, Contract, Deoxygenated Blood, Heart Attack, Heart Rate, Heart Valve, Impulse Oxygenated Blood, Pulmonary Artery, Pulmonary Vein, Septum Stroke Volume, Tendon, Vena Cava, Ventricle, Aerobic Respiration, Anaerobic Respiration, Cellular Respiration, Exothermic, Glucose, Lactic Acid, Mitochondrion
Ecosystems and Material Cycles
Key Concepts
  • Ecosystems And Communities Of Organisms
  • Biotic Factors, Including The Effect Of Competition And Predation On Communities
  • The Effect Of Parasitism And Mutualism On The Survival Of Some Organisms
  • The Introduction And Removal Of Organisms From Ecosystems By Humans
  • How Animal Conservation And Reforestation Can Affect Biodiversity
  • How Water Cycles Through Ecosystems
  • How Carbon Cycles Through An Ecosystem, And The Role Of Decomposers
  • Plants And Nitrates, And The Role Of Bacteria In The Cycle
  • How Abiotic Factors And Pollution Affect Communities
Key Vocabulary
Abundance, Community, Ecosystem, Food Web, Habitat, Interdependent, Population, Quadrat, Resources, Sample, Abiotic Factors, Adaptation, Belt Transect, Distribution, Drought, Pollutant, Pollution, Biodiversity, Biotic Factors, Compete, Competition, Predation, Predator – Prey Cycle, Host, Mutualism, Parasite, Parasitism, Eutrophication, Fish Farming, Indigenous, Native, Non-indigenous, Overfishing, Captivity, Conservation, Endangered, Reforestation, Desalination, Distillation, Potable, Water Cycle, Biomass, Carbon Cycle, Decay, Decomposer, Faeces, Fossil Fuel, Crop Rotation, Manure, Nitrate, Nitrogen Cycle, Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria
Click to Expand Chemistry Content:
Groups in the Periodic Table
Key Concepts
  • The Main Properties Of Alkali Metals, Their Reaction With Water And Different Reactivities
  • The Physical Properties Of The Halogens, How They React With Metals And Hydrogen, And How To Test For Chlorine Gas
  • Using Displacement Reactions To Work Out The Reactivity Of Halogens, Explaining Their Reactivity And What Happens To Halogen Atoms And Halogen Ions During Displacement
  • The Properties And Uses Of The Noble Gases
Key Vocabulary
Alkali Metals, Group, Periodic Table, Reactivity, Bleach, Diatomic, Disinfectant, Halide, Halogen, Salt, Displacement Reaction. Oxidation, Oxidised, Redox, Reduced, Reduction, Inert, Noble Gas
Rates of Reaction
Key Concepts
  • Changes That Occur During A Reaction And Rates Of Reaction
  • Factors Affecting Rates Of Reaction, Including Temperature, Concentration, Surface Area And Pressure
  • How Catalysts Work And What Enzymes Are Used For
Key Vocabulary
Product, Rate, Reactant, Variable, Activation Energy, Endothermic, Exothermic, Active Site, Catalyst, Denatured, Enzyme, Protein, Reaction Profile, Substrate
Heat Energy Changes in Chemical Reactions
Key Concepts
  • Exothermic And Endothermic Reactions
  • Exothermic And Endothermic Bonds And Calculating Energy Changes In Reactions
Key Vocabulary
Displacement Reaction, Endothermic, Exothermic, Neutralisation, Precipitation, Reaction Profile, Activation Energy, Bond Energy, Covalent Bond, Mole
Fuels
Key Concepts
  • Hydrocarbons, The Uses Of Crude Oil And Fossil Fuels
  • How Crude Oil Is Separated Into Useful Fractions, The Names And Uses Of These Fractions And The Differences Between Molecules
  • The Features Of A Homologous Series Of Compounds, And Why Alkanes Form Them
  • What Happens During The Complete And Incomplete Combustion Of A Hydrocarbon, And The Problems Incomplete Combustion Causes
  • Why Some Hydrocarbon Fuels Release Sulfur Dioxide, The Oxides Of Nitrogen Produced By Engines And The Problems Caused By Acid Rain
  • Why Cracking Is Needed, What Happens During The Cracking Of Crude Oil Fractions And The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Hydrogen And Petrol As Fuel For Vehicles
Key Vocabulary
Crude Oil, Fossil Fuel, Hydrocarbon, Natural Gas, Non-renewable, Petrochemical, Condense, Evaporate, Fraction, Fractional Distillation, Ignite, Viscosity, Alkane, Homologous Series, Molecular Formula, Structural Formula, Carbon Monoxide, Combustion, Complete Combustion, Haemoglobin, Oxidation, Soot, Toxic, Acid Rain, Impurity, Pollutant, Weathering, Alkene, Catalyst, Cracking, Greenhouse Gas, Saturated, Unsaturated
Earth and the Early Atmosphere
Key Concepts
  • Common Gases Created By Volcanic Activity, Evidence For The Composition Of The Early Atmosphere And Explanation Of The Formation Of The Oceans
  • Changes To Levels Of Oxygen And Carbon Dioxide In The Atmosphere And The Test For Oxygen
  • Greenhouse Gases, The Greenhouse Effect, And The Link Between Fossil Fuel Combustion And Climate Change
  • Human Influence On The Climate, The Effect Of Climate Change And How We May Limit Its Impact
Key Vocabulary
Atmosphere, Composition, Volcanic Activity, Hypothesis, Photosynthesis, Absorb, Causal Link, Climate Change, Correlation, Emit, Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Infrared, Resolution
Click to Expand Physics Content:
Electricity and Circuits
Key Concepts
  • Electric Circuits
  • Current And Potential Difference
  • Current, Charge And Energy: Q = I x T, E = Q x V
  • Resistance, V = I x R
  • Transferring Energy, E = I x V x T
  • Power, P = E/t, P = I x V
  • Transferring Energy By Electricity, National Grid And Power Ratings
  • Electrical Safety, Fuses And Circuit Breakers
Key Vocabulary
Atom, Battery, Component, Electron, Neutron, Nucleus, Parallel Circuit, Proton, Series Circuit, Shell, Voltage, Ampere, Amps, Ammeter, Cell, Conserved, Potential Difference, Voltmeter, Volt, Charge, Coulomb, Rate, Ohm, Resistance, Direct Proportion, Diode, Light Dependent Resistor (LDR), Light Emitting Diode (LED), Thermistor, Dissipated, Work, Power, Power Rating, Watt, Alternating Current, Direct Current, Mains Electricity, National Grid, Thermal Energy Store, Circuit Breaker, Earth Wire, Fuse, Live Wire, Neutral Wire
Magnetism and the Motor Effect and Electromagnetic Induction
Key Concepts
  • Magnets And Magnetic Fields
  • Electromagnetism
  • Magnetic Forces
  • Transformers
  • Transformers And Energy
Key Vocabulary
Core, Induced Magnet, Magnetic Field, Magnetic Material, Permanent Magnet, Plotting Compass, Electromagnet, Solenoid, Temporary Magnet, Carbon Brush, Fleming’s Left Hand Rule, Magnetic Flux Density, Motor Effect, Split Ring Commutator, Tesla, Primary Coil, Secondary Coil, Step Down Transformer, Transformer, Step Up Transformer, Transmission Lines, Coulomb, Power
Particle Model, Forces and Matter
Key Concepts
  • Particles And Density
  • Energy And Changes Of State
  • Energy Calculations
  • Gas Temperature And Pressure
  • Bending And Stretching
  • Extension And Energy Transfers
Key Vocabulary
Change Of State, Compress, Density, Kinetic Theory, Specific Heat Capacity, Specific Latent Heat, Temperature, Thermal Energy, Absolute Zero, Kelvin, Kinetic Energy, Pressure, Elastic, Directly Proportional, Extension, Inelastic, Linear Relationship, Non-linear Relationship, Spring Constant, Work Done
Spring Term:

Combined Science students have finished the course content at this point and are using lesson time for revision and exam preparation.

Separate Science students cover the extra content required for this course.

Summer Term:

All science students have finished the course content at this point and are using lesson time for revision and exam preparation.

Subject Overview:

In Year 11 students will finish learning the content for either the Edexcel Combined Science or Edexcel Separate Science course ahead of sitting their final exams at the end of the year. There is no coursework option in Science.

Students will have 6 lessons a week, 2 for each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics with each subject being taught by a specialist teacher. As such, students will study Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules simultaneously.

Students will receive 1 homework per week per subject but are also encouraged to frequently review and revise previous content.

Assessments:

At the end of each module students will sit an internal assessment to monitor their progress, this does not count towards their final assessment.

Students sit a mock exam in the Autumn Term.

Students sit their final exams in the Summer Term.