Key Stage 4 Courses

GCSE courses

In Years 10 and 11, pupils undertake a GCSE course in Science that awards pupils with two GCSEs in Science. The course has a modular structure, which means that pupils are examined each term in Year 10 as well as two final exams at the end of Year 11. This allows pupils to build up their scores towards their final GCSE grade throughout Years 10 and 11. The science department follows the AQA Modular science syllabus and the Heinemann AQA Modular science pupil books.

Year 10

In Year 10, pupils learn about, and have exams for, six module topics:

• Humans as Organisms
• Maintenance of Life
• Metals
• Earth Materials
• Energy
• Electricity

Year 11

In Year 11, pupils learn about, and have exams for, six further topics:

• Inheritance and Selection
• Structures and Bonding
• Waves and Radiation
• Environment
• Patterns of chemical change
• Forces

In addition to learning the 12 topics in years 10 and 11, pupils will undertake coursework in science. The science coursework involves pupils planning experiments, doing the practicals and recording results, analysing the results for patterns and evaluating the validity of the method and results. This coursework counts towards 20% of the GCSE grade for science.

GNVQ courses

In Years 10 and 11, some pupils undertake a GNVQ course in Science that awards pupils with the equivalent of four GCSEs in Science. The course has a modular structure, which means that pupils are examined at the end of each year as well as two coursework portfolios each year. This course relies heavily upon coursework and allows pupils to build up their scores towards their final grade throughout Years 10 and 11. The science department follows the OCR Intermediate GNVQ Science.

Year 10

In Year 10 there are three module topics:

• Applying Practical Skills
• Learning Knowledge and Understanding Needed for Scientific Knowledge
• Applying Scientific Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Year 11

In Year 11 there are three module topics:

• Forensic Science
• The Science of Sports Equipment
• Biotechnology and Genetics