The Science team at St Wilfrid’s use an enquiry based approach to the subject that, in addition to fuelling a passion to understanding scientific phenomena, encourages students to think for themselves, to ask questions, to form their own conclusions and evaluate evidence presented to them.
Year 7: Being a Scientist, Pyrotechnics, Science and Sport, By the Seaside.
Year 8: Space Traveller, Elementary my Dear, Feed the World, Out of this World, Staying Alive.
Year 9: Modern Living, The Reactivity League.
GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy. This is a double award course so students will be awarded 2 grades ranging from 1/1 to 9/9. The course is linear which means that all examinations occur at the end of year 11. There are 6 examinations in total: 2 Biology, 2 Chemistry and 2 Physics, each of which last for 75 minutes. Students are expected to remember 21 required practicals and 21 physics formula which can be assessed in the examinations.
Students begin GCSE in January. They will complete unit B1 which comprises of cell biology / infection and response / organisation / bioenergetics.
C1 – atomic structure and periodic table / bonding, structure and properties of matter / quantitative chemistry / chemical changes / energy changes.
P1 – energy / electricity / particle model of nature / atomic structure.
B2 – homeostasis and response / inheritance, variation and evolution / ecology.
C2 – the rate and extent of chemical change / organic chemistry / chemical analysis / chemistry of the atmosphere / using resources.
P2 – forces / waves / magnetism and electromagnetism.
This qualification is linear which means that students will sit all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level course.
Practical work is at the heart of Biology so there will be plenty of practicals in lessons to develop student’s skills, and understanding of the scientific process. Practical assessments have been divided into those that can be assessed in written exams and those that can only be directly assessed whilst students are carrying out experiments. A-level grades will be based only on marks from written exams. A separate endorsement of practical skills will be taken alongside the A-level. This will be assessed by teachers and will be based on direct observation of students’ competency in a range of skills that are not assessable in written exams.
To succeed on this course students need to achieve a grade 6 or above in GCSE Science or GCSE Biology.
This qualification is now linear which means that students will sit all the A-level exams at the end of their A-level course.
Practical work is at the heart of chemistry, it is at the heart of the specification. Practical assessments have been divided into those that can be assessed in written exams and those that can only be directly assessed whilst students are carrying out experiments. A-level grades will be based only on marks from written exams. A separate endorsement of practical skills will be taken alongside the A-level. This will be assessed by teachers and will be based on direct observation of students’ competency in a range of skills that are not assessable in written exams.
To succeed on this course students need to achieve a grade 6 or above in GCSE Science or GCSE Chemistry.
Overview We follow the OCR Physics A specification, with the units covered offering students a chance to gain a solid scientific and mathematical background which they will find useful for future employment or further study in any of the natural sciences at a higher level. Students will study the full 2-year A level course.