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Science

Science curriculum vision

At Epsom and Ewell High School the Science curriculum aims to provide students with the industrial skills (researching, presenting and analysing data) needed to work not only in science but also in numerous other fields. By the time students leave EEHS they will be able to critically scrutinise information they encounter to enable them to make informed decisions throughout their lives.

At the start of their scientific study at EEHS students become equipped with a foundational skill set in laboratory techniques and data handling to ensure that all students are on a level playing field when they join us, as many have never been in a science laboratory before secondary school.

Schemes of work are designed to ignite students’ curiosity about the world around them with practical investigations, research projects and debates.

At Epsom and Ewell High we aim for all students to R.O.A.R.:

Resilient: In the Science department we challenge students to analyse and evaluate scientific data to draw their own, informed conclusions. Students are challenged to see links between pieces of evidence and interpret trends for themselves.

Open-Minded: Woven throughout the curriculum are opportunities to explore global science issues and students are encouraged to consider multiple points of view when forming their own opinions. Students also have the opportunity to debate some of these issues where they learn to actively listen and value the opinions of others.

Aspirational: Through our curriculum, we aim to give our students the opportunity to explore the vast number of careers that qualifications in science can prepare them for. We offer the CREST certificate (Bronze and Silver) to those students who show a keen interest in scientific study.

Reflective: Students are encouraged to reflect on their work and progress throughout the key stages. This may be achieved through evaluating their experiments or contemplating and improving on their current conception of how the world works.

Implementation:

Year 7

In Year 7, we equip students with the necessary skills to work safely and effectively in a laboratory and to analyse the data that they will collect in their investigations. We also reinforce the industry skills needed in science during their end of term projects.

We select topics for Year 7 that link not only to their KS2 knowledge but are the basic building blocks for each of the science disciplines, biology, chemistry and physics.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Introduction to Scientific Skills

Space

Organisation

STEM Project

The Periodic Table

Reproduction

Sustainability

Forces

Materials

Year 8

In Year 8, students continue to hone their scientific skills of analysing and evaluating through new topics from each of the scientific disciplines. As in Year 7, practical work forms the core of students’ learning whilst at the same time we lay the foundational knowledge that will help them grasp more complex ideas at GCSE.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Diseases

Pharmacology

Sky at Night

Evolution

Energy

Chemistry of the Earth

Waves

Ecology

Chemical Reactions

Year 9

In Year 9, students are introduced to the building blocks from each science needed in both Combined and Triple Science GCSE’s. In the Autumn term, students complete an introductory topic on laboratory and research skills. After this topic students are introduced to the key ideas of GCSE Sciences with a focus on seeing the patterns between reactions and movement of particles in all systems and looking at the breadth of practical work that can be done to see these phenomena in real life.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Science Project

Biology – How systems are interconnected

Chemistry – Reactions between chemicals

Physics – Energy and Substances

Biology – The Human Body

Chemistry – Testing Materials

Physics – Movement and Interactions

Year 10

In year 10, students study all three of the sciences concurrently, students can choose to complete Triple Science as an option, if this is not chosen students will complete Combined Science:Trilogy.

Though scientific theory plays a bigger role at GCSE than at Key Stage 3, the practical element of each science remains a key focus. Not only must students complete a range of required practicals which they could be examined on at the end of the course, we also include a range of other practical investigations throughout each of the three science curricula.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Biology: Cell Biology and Organisation

Chemistry:

Atomic Structure and Bonding

Physics: Energy

Biology: Infection and Response

Chemistry:

Chemical Changes and Energy Changes

Physics: Electricity

Biology: Bioenergetics

Chemistry:

Quantitative and The Rate of Change

Physics: Particle Model and Atomic Structure

Year 11

In Year 11, from the spring term we recap the course content with a strong focus on exam technique to prepare students for their GCSEs. Lessons focus on recall of key information and the key skills of applying information to new situations, describing and explaining trends in unfamiliar data, and evaluating evidence relating to content they have studied.

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Biology: Homeostasis

Chemistry:

Organic Chemistry and Chemical Analysis

Physics: Forces

Biology: Inheritance and Ecology

Chemistry:

Atmosphere and Using Resources

Physics: Waves and Magnetism

All Sciences: Revision

Final exam preparation and formal exams.

Year 12 and 13

In KS5 science students develop their scientific intrigue, literary and analytical skills. This allows them to draw informed conclusions in the outside world. These skills will also be transferable into a wide range of industries and opportunities for further study.

Biology

AQA A-Level Biology

Year 12	Year 13
Biological Molecules Cells Organisms exchange substances with their environment Genetic Information, Variation and Relationships between organisms	Energy Transfers in and between organisms Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems. The control of gene expression.

Chemistry

AQA A-Level Chemistry

Year 12	Year 13
Atomic Structure Amount of Substance Bonding Energetics Kinetics Equilibria Redox reactions Periodicity Group 2 Group 7 Introduction to Organic Chemistry Alkanes Halogenoalkanes Alkenes Alcohols Organic analysis	Acids, Alkalis and pH Thermodynamics Rate Equations Electrochemistry Acids, Bases and pH Period 3 Transition metals Isomerism Carbonyl Compounds Aromatic Compounds Amines Polymers Amino acids, Proteins and DNA Organic Synthesis Further Organic Analysis

Physics

AQA A-Level Physics

Year 12	Year 13
Particles and Radiation Electromagnetic Radiation and Quantum Phenomenon Waves Mechanics Further Mechanics Materials Electricity Option A - Astrophysics	Thermal Physics Gravitational and Electric Fields Capacitors Magnetic Fields Nuclear Physics