Science Curriculum
Empowering young scientists to understand their world
Why study Science?
What science develops
- Opens doors to amazing careers- medicine, research, biotech and more
- Practical and analytical skills
- Understanding of real-world challenges in health, environment and technology
Student voice
“I enjoy science because it's like solving lots of puzzles. We get to do cool experiments and learn all about lots of complex topics.” Stephen, Year 7
Key Stage 3 Science– Cycle Overview
Cycle 1 Biology
Year 7
Knowledge focus
Key skills
- Using a microscope
- Making scientific observations
- Drawing cells
- Evaluating models
- Extracting DNA
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Cell
- Microscope
- Membrane
- Diffusion
- Osmosis
- DNA
- Gene
- Chromosome
- Allele
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Classification
- Changes in an organism’s lifetime
- Human lifestyles and health
Key skills
- Using a classification key
- Analysing a percentile chart
- Performing calorimetry
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Hierarchy
- Binomial naming
- Percentile chart
- Mitosis
- Life cycle
- Adaptations
- Gametes
- Diet
- Malnutrition
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Interdependence of organisms
- Organisms and their environments
- Biodiversity and impact of humans
Key skills
- Drawing and interpreting food chains and webs
- Dissecting a flower
- Using a quadrat
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Predator
- Prey
- Biomass
- Interdependence
- Abiotic and biotic factors
- Ecosystem
- Population
- Biodiversity
Cycle 1 cHEMISTRY
Year 7
Knowledge focus
Key skills
- Lab safety and Lab equipment
- Scientific skills (Measurement and scale, variables)
- Making scientific observations
- Graph skills
- States of matter
- Changes of state
- Gas pressure and diffusion
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Hazard
- Control
- Risk
- Precaution
- Independent variable
- Dependent variable
- Control variable
- Line of best fit
- Axis
- Solid
- Liquid
- Gas
- Particles
- Vibrations
- Diffusion
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Acids and Alkalis
Key skills
- Assessing hazard and risk
- Making indicators
- Naming salts
- Making scientific observations
- Linking pH to acidity
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Acid
- Alkali
- Neutralisation
- Hazard
- Risk
- Precaution
- Indicator
- Litmus paper
- Universal indicator
- PH meter
- PH
- Excess
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Earth’s structure and Atmosphere
Key skills
- Describe an explain systems (structure of earth and rock cycle)
- Use scientific models
- Apply cause and effect reasoning
- Make inks to different topics (photosynthesis and respiration in biology)
- Environmental and citizenship skills (awareness of human's impact on earths systems)
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Mantle
- Crust
- Core
- Igneous
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- Weathering
- Erosion
- Composition
- Respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Combustion
- Greenhouse gases
- Global warming
- Fossil fuels
Cycle 1 PHYSICS
Year 7
Knowledge focus
- Forces
- Sound and Light
Key skills
- Using a Newton Metre
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Force
- Friction
- Upthrust
- Gravity air resistance
- Resultant force
- Lubricant
- Angle
- Reflection
- Surface
- Amplitude and frequency
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Moving by force
- Making images
Key skills
- Applications using a protractor
- Representing motion using force diagrams
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Acceleration
- Deceleration
- Constant speed
- Velocity
- Angle of incidence
- Angle of reflection
- Normal
- Perpendicular
- Image
- Laterally inverted
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Waves
- More electrical circuits
Key skills
- Using a ripple tank
- Labelling waves
- Using the wave speed equation
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Transverse
- Oscillation
- Perpendicular
- Longitudinal
- Amplitude
- Frequency
- Medium
- Matter
- Pitch
- Rarefaction
- Resistance
- Voltage
- Current
- Series
- Parallel
Cycle 2 Biology
Year 7
Knowledge focus
Key skills
- Link structure to function
- Using models
- Collecting and recording data
- Plot a graph
- Label diagrams
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Cell
- Tissue
- Organ
- Organ system
- Digestive system
- Circulatory system
- Respiratory system
- Muscle contraction
- Antagonistic
- ATP
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Classification
- Changes in an organism’s lifetime
- Human lifestyles and health
Key skills
- Dissecting a plant
- Identifying variables
- Presenting findings in a clear written or verbal format
- Link theory to real-world concepts
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Gamete
- Fertilisation
- Reproduction
- Pollination
- Germination
- Stamen
- Pistil
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Variation, adaptation and evolution
- Health and disease
Key skills
- Interpreting graphs
- Applying knowledge of adaptations to unfamiliar organisms and habitats
- Extended writing and reading
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Variation
- Adaptation
- Competition
- Natural selection
- Pathogen
- Communicable and non-communicable disease
- Immunity
- Vaccination
Cycle 2 cHEMISTRY
Year 7
Knowledge focus
Key skills
- Drawing diagrams of elements, compounds and mixtures
- Make scientific observations
- Investigate the different techniques for separating mixtures
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Atoms
- Elements
- Compounds
- Mixtures
- Chemical formulae
- Dissolving
- Solutes
- Solvents
- Solubilities
- Evaporation
- Filtration
- Distillation
- Chromatography
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Periodic Table
Key skills
- Naming compounds
- Identify chemicals by their symbols
- Describe the structure of the periodic table
- Explaining trends in the periodic table
- Identify key properties of metals and non-metals
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Atom
- Proton
- Neutron
- Electron
- Electron configuration
- Isotope
- Ion
- Formulae
- Charge
- Mass
- Trends
- Patterns
- Group
- Alkali metals
- Noble gases
- Halogens
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Reactions of metals
Key skills
- Develop chemical language and literacy
- Write simple chemical word equations
- Making scientific observations
- Develop predictive reasoning
- Practical competence
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Metals
- Alloys
- Distorted
- Reactivity series
- Displacement
- Oxidation
- Reduction
- Extraction
- Ore
- Mineral
- Mining
- Native state
- Electrolysis
- Carbonates
- Thermal decomposition
Cycle 2 PHYSICS
Year 7
Knowledge focus
- The Solar System and beyond
Key skills
- Graph analysis and interpretation of data.
- Explaining seasons (summer/winter) due to the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth’s axis, affecting the concentration of sunlight (intensity) and length of daylight.
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Orbit
- Gravity
- Solar system
- Galaxy
- Universe
- Light year
- Star
- Asteroid
- Satellite
- Atmosphere
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- More about force
- The Earth and the Sun
Key skills
- Distinguishing between mass (amount of matter in kg) and weight (force of gravity in Newtons).
- Understanding that gravitational field strength varies depending on the planet's mass and radius, meaning weight changes but mass does not
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Axis
- Rotation
- Revolution
- Mass
- Weight
- Heliocentric
- Non-contact force
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Floating and sinking
Key skills
- Investigating how surface area can affect buoyancy of an object.
- Calculating density using the formula
- Density=Mass/Volume.
- Creating a layered liquid column (water, oil, syrup) to demonstrate relative density.
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Density
- Buoyancy
- Upthrust
- Displacement
- Fluid
- Submerged
- Mass
- Volume
- Gravity
Cycle 3 Biology
Year 7
Knowledge focus
Key skills
- Plot and interpret continuous and discontinuous variation graphs
- Extended writing
- Practical skills – growing bacteria
- Link knowledge to real-world scenarios
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Variation
- Species
- Fossil
- Evolution
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Bacteria
- Infectious
- Medicine
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Biochemistry
Key skills
- Linking cause and effect
- Data interpretation
- Microscopy
- Data collection
- Practical skills – investigating respiration in yeast
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Respiration
- Aerobic
- Anaerobic
- Lactic acid
- Fermentation
- Producer
- Consumer
- Chlorophyll
- Photosynthesis
- Biomass
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Fundamentals of Biology
- Cells
- Microscopes
Key skills
- Labelling cells
- Comparing bacterial, animal and plant cells
- Practical skills – preparing a microscope slide
- Calculating magnification
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Cell
- Prokaryotic
- Eukaryotic
- Nucleus
- Mitochondria
- Ribosome
- Stage
- Slide
- Stain
- Magnification
- Image size
- Actual size
- Focus
Cycle 3 cHEMISTRY
Year 7
Knowledge focus
Key skills
- Classify different materials into categories
- Carry out practicals to investigate the properties of materials
- Follow safety procedures
- Evaluate materials for suitability in practical or real-world applications
- Record and representing data in tables and charts
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Materials
- Polymers
- Composites
- Ceramics
- Fabrics
- Alloys
- Fabrics
- Appearance
- Opaque
- Translucent
- Transparent
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Chemical reactions
Key skills
- Classify changes as chemical or physical based on observations
- Develop chemical language and literacy
- Write simple chemical word equations
- Making scientific observations
- Develop predictive reasoning
- Practical competence
- Safety and responsibility
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Reactant
- Product
- Word equation
- Symbol equation
- Physical change
- Chemical change
- Oxidation
- Reduction
- Rusting
- Combustion
- Thermal decomposition
- Photosynthesis
- Exothermic
- Endothermic
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Particles and separating mixtures
Key skills
- Draw the particle model
- Perform several lab techniques for separating mixtures
- Comparing the effectiveness of different spearing techniques
- Translate experimental observations into scientific explanations
- Comparing measurements (eg boiling points)
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Melting point
- Boiling point
- Evaporation
- Boiling
- Sublimation
- Condensing
- Melting
- Deposition
- Particle
- Atom
- Element
- Compound
- Mixture
- Pure
- Impure
- Crystallisation
- Distillation
- Chromatography
- Potable water
- Chlorination
- Ozone
Cycle 3 PHYSICS
Year 7
Knowledge focus
- Heating and Cooling
- How we see
Key skills
- Designing experiments to compare conductors and insulators.
- Drawing and interpreting cooling curves.
- Using particle module to explain contraction and expansion
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Temperature
- Conduction
- Convection
- Radiation
- Heat
- Kelvin
- Degree Celsius
- Insulator
- Evaporation
- Pupil
- Reflection
- Refraction
- Iris
- Lens
- Retina
- Optic nerve
- Opaque
- Transparent
- Translucent
Year 8
Knowledge focus
- Simple Electric Circuits
Key skills
- Constructing working series and parallel circuits.
- Identifying why a circuit is not working.
- Predicting, testing and explaining how changing variables affects circuit behaviour.
- Drawing accurately labelled circuit diagrams
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Circuit
- Component
- Cell
- Battery
- Parallel
- Series
- Current
- Voltage
- Resistance
- Conductor
Year 9
Knowledge focus
- Magnets and Electromagnets
Key skills
- Building simple electromagnets using a solenoid.
- Investing what variables affect the strength of an electromagnet.
- Using a compass.
- Explaining the difference between permanent and temporary magnetism.
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Poles
- Attract
- Repel
- Magnetic material
- Permanent magnet
- Electromagnet
- Solenoid
- Core
- Induced magnetism
- Field
- Compass
Key Stage 4 Science
Cycle 1 Biology
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Key concepts in biology
- Cells and control
- Nervous System
Key skills
- Labelling cells
- Describing and explaining enzymes graphs
- Using a microscope
- Calculating magnification
- Significant figures and standard form
- Practical skills – investigating osmosis
- Calculating percentage change
- Analysing a percentile chart
- Calculating BMI
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Diffusion
- Active transport
- Mitosis
- Stem cell
- Differentiation
- Receptor
- Synapse
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Plant Structures and their Functions
- Endocrine System
- Animal coordination and control
- Homeostasis
Key skills
- Planning investigations
- Link structure to function
- Interpret inverse and proportional relationships
- Evaluate advantages and disadvantages
Assessment
- Assessment at the end of the module
- November prelims (year 10 content)
Key Vocabulary
- Photosynthesis
- Limiting factor
- Transpiration
- Translocation
- Hormone
- Endocrine system
- Homeostasis
Cycle 1 cHEMISTRY
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Key concepts in chemistry – structure of the atom, periodic table, structure and bonding
Key skills
- Core chemical understanding and conceptual skills (atomic and subatomic understanding)
- Chemical language and representation
- Working scientifically/practical skills (planning and investigating)
- Critical thinking and evaluation (distinguish between evidence and opinion)
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Atom
- Proton
- Neutron
- Electron
- Configuration
- Isotope
- Ion
- Formulae
- Ionic
- Covalent
- Metallic
- Charge
- Mass
- Trends
- Patterns
- Intermolecular forces
- Electrostatic forces
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Metals and groups in the periodic table
Key skills
- Understanding of the periodic table
- Identifying patterns in reactivity and explaining trends in groups
- Comparing physical and chemical properties of metals and relating them to structure and bonding
- Applying concepts to reactions and uses
- Designing experiments (reactivity of elements, displacement)
- Make detailed observations
Assessment
- Assessment at end of module
- Prelims
Key Vocabulary
- Group
- Period
- Atomic number
- Mass number
- Electron configuration
- Properties
- Reactivity series
- Oxidation
- Reduction
- Displacement,
- Redox reaction
- Density
- Halogens
- Alkali metals
- Ore
- Mineral
- Extraction
- Corrosion
- Rusting
- Alloys
Cycle 1 pHYSICS
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Forces and Motion
Key skills
- F=ma air track trolley practical
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Gradient
- Tangent
- Scalar
- Vector
- Displacement
- Resultant
- Acceleration
- Constant
- Velocity
- Speed
- Weight
- Moment
- Momentum
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Material Properties
Key skills
- Density of solids and liquids
- Determining the SHC of a material
- Boyle’s law
- Hooke’s law
- Atmospheric and Liquid pressure
Assessment
- Assessment at end of module
- Prelims
Key Vocabulary
- Density
- Volume
- Mass
- Specific heat capacity
- Specific latent heat
- Deposition
- Sublimation
- Particle
- Pressure
- Potential
Cycle 2 Biology
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Genetics
- Natural selection and genetic modification
Key skills
- Drawing and interpreting Punnett squares
- Predicting inheritance outcomes
- Analysing pedigree charts
- Evaluating evidence for natural selection and evolution
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Natural selection
- Adaptation
- Evolution
- Mutation
- Speciation
- Selective breeding
- Genetic engineering
- GMO
- Cloning
- Reproductive isolation
- Phenotype
- Allele
- Biodiversity
- Ethical
- Environmental impact
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Exchange and Transport in animals
Key skills
- Calculating cardiac output
- Using models to simulate gas exchange or blood flow
- Planning and performing a practical investigating respiration rate in small organisms
Assessment
- Assessment at the end of the module
- February prelims (year 10 and year 11 content)
Key Vocabulary
- Circulatory system
- Heart
- Artery
- Vein
- Capillary
- Blood
- Red blood cell
- White blood cell
- Plasma
- Platelet
- Oxygen
- Carbon dioxide
- Alveolus
- Diffusion
- Double circulation
- Cardiac output
- Haemoglobin
- Adaptation
- Concentration gradient
Cycle 2 cHEMISTRY
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Chemical calculations
Key skills
- Conversion of units
- Apply knowledge of chemical formulae to calculations
- Develop precise mathematical and chemical vocabulary
- Choosing appropriate equations for calculations
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Atomic mass
- Relative formula mass
- Isotopic abundance
- Moles
- Concentration
- Atom economy
- Percentage yield
- Titration
- Empirical formulae
- Molar volumes
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Energy changes
- Rates of reactions
Key skills
- Draw and interpret reaction profile diagrams
- Develop graph skills – plotting and interpreting graphs
- Using appropriate units Interpret experimental evidence to justify conclusions
Assessment
- Assessment at end of module
- Prelims
Key Vocabulary
- Collisions
- Activation energy
- Reactants
- Products
- Rate of reaction
- Catalyst
- Enzyme
- Concentration
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Surface area
- Endothermic
- Exothermic
- Chemical change
- Physical change
- Revisable reaction
- Irreversible reaction
- Equilibrium
- Fertilisers
Cycle 2 pHYSICS
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Energy and Radioactivity
Key skills
- Using gears and pulleys
- Calculating half-life using half-life cubes as a random process
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Potential
- Conservation
- Efficiency
- Proton
- Neutron
- Electron
- Charge
- Positive
- Negative
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
- Fission
- Fusion
- Strain
- Contamination
- Irradiation
- Kinetic
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Electricity and Magnetism
Key skills
- Building electric circuits.
- Construction of Westminster motor kits and investigation what variables would affect the speed of rotation
Assessment
- Assessment at end of module
- Prelims
Key Vocabulary
- Current
- Voltage
- Resistance
- Ohm
- Coulomb
- Joule
- Amp
- Watt
- Power
- Charge
- Thermistor
- Earth
- Transformer
- Electromagnet
- North
- South
Cycle 3 Biology
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Health, disease and the development of medicines
Key skills
- Analysing trends in health over time
- Evaluating advantages and disadvantages of treatments
- Interpreting data
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Communicable
- Non-communicable
- Malnutrition
- Pathogen
- Antigen
- Antibody
- Lymphocyte
- Vaccine
- Preclinical trial
- Clinical trial
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Ecosystems
- Material Cycles
Key skills
- Practical skills - quadrat sampling, calculating mean, range, percentage change
- Assessing human impacts on ecosystems
Assessment
- Assessment at the end of the module
- February prelims (year 10 and year 11 content)
Key Vocabulary
- Ecosystem
- Population
- Community
- Interdependence
- Parasitism
- Mutualism
- Biodiversity
- Abiotic and biotic factors
- Biomass
- Decomposer
- Eutrophication
- Nitrification
- Denitrification
- Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
- Non-indigenous species
Cycle 3 cHEMISTRY
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Chemical changes and Electrolytic processes
Key skills
- Understand and explain chemical reactions and changes
- Carry out and evaluate quantitative practicals such as titration and neutralisation
- Explore how electricity and chemistry link together
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Reactant
- Product
- Reactivity series
- Displacement
- Oxidation
- Reduction
- Redox
- Acid
- Alkali
- pH
- Titration
- Neutralisation
- Indicator
- Precipitate
- Electrolysis
- Anode
- Cathode
- Cation ion, anion, electrolyte, molten, aqueous
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Fuels
- Earths science
Key skills
- Analyse and interrupt scientific data using graphs, tables and models to understand patterns and trends related to energy use, resources and Earth systems
- Apply scientific models to real-world issues, using ideas such as cycles, systems and energy transfer to explain environmental and climate-related processes
Assessment
- Assessment at end of module
- Prelims
Key Vocabulary
- Fuel
- Hydrocarbon
- Crude oil
- Cracking
- Fractional distillation
- Fraction
- Alkane
- Decolourise
- Double bond
- Single bond
- Alkene
- Pollution
- Greenhouse gas
- Carbon footprint
- Composition
- Global warming
- Carbon cycle
- Acid rain
- Renewable
- Non-renewable
- Sustainable
Cycle 3 pHYSICS
Year 10
Knowledge focus
- Waves, Light and the EM Spectrum
- Cosmology (TRIPLE)
Key skills
- Calculating wave speed in solids and liquids
- Refraction through a glass block
- Investigating thermal radiation
- Explaining the use of lenses and constructing and interpreting lens ray diagrams
Assessment
Key Vocabulary
- Transverse
- Longitudinal
- Amplitude
- Frequency
- Reflection
- Refraction
- Transmission
- Absorption
- Converge
- Diverge
- Radiation
- Transmit
- Absorb
Year 11
Knowledge focus
- Revision and Static Electricity (TRIPLE)
Key skills
- Using the Van Der Graff generator.
- Explaining the use of static electricity in spray painting, ink jet printers and electrostatic precipitators.
- Representing electric fields around charged particles
Assessment
- Assessment at end of module
- Prelims
Key Vocabulary
- Charge
- Negative
- Positive
- Earth
- Live
- Neutral
- Repel
- Attract
- Conductor
- Insulator
- Spark
- Potential difference
- Transfer
- Electron
- Electrostatic precipitator
For Key Stage 5 Curriculum information please click link here to our Sixth Form Curriculum