Science
Curriculum Overview
The Science curriculum is designed to build up the knowledge, experiences, and skills that you began to use during your time in primary school. This will help to prepare you for the challenges of GCSE Sciences. There are several key concepts (ideas) that link together all the topics that we will cover during your science learning at school. We intend for students at Croxley Danes to leave school with core skills which are critical for life outside school. These are skills which we use as scientists every day. They include critical thinking, evaluation of evidence, reasoning and problem solving. These skills will serve you well in a future where understanding science will be increasingly important and transferable skills will be a job market must have!
Disciplinary Concepts
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Problem solving
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Analysis
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Cause and consequence
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Models & interpretations
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Calculation and manipulation
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Individual and collective practical work
Curriculum Map
YEAR 7
You will explore three separate subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) Below is the content you will learn within each subject.
Biology
Cells - what makes up all living organisms?
Body Systems - how cells make up parts of the organism
Reproduction - the difference between the parts of females, males and plants and how they reproduce
Chemistry
Particles - What is a solid, liquid and gas?
Elements, Atoms, and Compounds - How the particles make different substances.
Chemical Reactions - How these particles interact to make reactions.
Acids and Alkalis- How certain particles interact.
Physics
Forces - how objects interact
Sound - how sound works
Light - how light works
Space - what is space and what makes up space?
YEAR 8
Within Biology, you will learn more about how specialised cells and complex exchange systems within organisms. This will include exploring how DNA and genes are stored within cells and how our understanding of these affects our ideas about evolution and inherited disease. Within Chemistry, you will go into detail about particles, particularly focusing on ideas around energy and mass, as well as learning more in-depth about acids and alkalis and their different reactions. For Physics, you will look at energy from a more scientific viewpoint as well as linking it to moving forces, electricity, and magnets.
Biology
Health - what makes a healthy life.
Adaptation and Inheritance - how organisms change and adapt over time.
Ecosystems - how different organisms interact.
Chemistry
Periodic Table - the Periodic Table and its parts.
Separation - how substances can be separated.
Metals and Acids - metals and their reactions along with other substances and properties.
Physics
Energy - energy and its stores with the calculations.
Electricity and Magnetism - the parts of electrical circuits.
Motion and Pressure - how to work out an object's speed and how it can change.
YEAR 9
Within Biology, you will learn more about how cells work together and build up into different systems along with how some cells cause disease. This will be closely linked to disease which is not caused by cells and how our body defends itself from these diseases. For Chemistry, you will go into detail about atoms and how these atoms bond as well as learning more in-depth about rate of reactions and chemistry of the Earth. Within Physics, you will move on from energy to focus on energy in different scenarios, along with thermal conductivity and waves.
Biology
Disease, Medicine Immunity and Pandemics - why people get ill and how we stop it.
GCSE starts (January)
Cells - Parts of the cells and how they function.
Chemistry
Investigation - the skills within experiments based on rates of reactions.
Earth - the climate and parts of the Earth.
GCSE starts (January)
Atomic Structure - parts of the atom.
Bonding - how atoms interact.
Physics
Forces/Energy -the way forces and energy interact.
GCSE starts (January)
Energy - the Energy stores and calculations.
GCSE
Within Biology, you will learn more about how cells work together and build up into different systems. This will help your understanding when you learn about organisms’ complex exchange systems and how DNA and genes are stored within cells.
Finally, you will learn about the ideas around evolution and ecology. For Chemistry, you will go into detail about energy and mass in chemical reactions as well as learning more in-depth about rate of reactions and chemistry of the Earth. In Physics, you will move on from energy to focus on energy in electrical circuits and states of matter. This will lead on to you learning about forces, magnetism, and waves.
Biology
Paper 1
Cells (Year 9)
Organisation (Year 10)
Disease (Year 10)
Bioenergetics (Year 10)
Paper 2
Homeostasis and response (Year 11)
Inheritance (Year 11)
Ecology (Year 10)
Chemistry
Paper 1
Atomic Structure (Year 9)
Bonding (Year 9)
Quantitative Chemistry (Year 10)
Chemical Changes (Year 10)
Energy Changes (Year 10)
Paper 2
Rate of Reactions (Year 10)
Organic Chemistry (Year 11)
Chemical Analysis (Year 11)
Chemistry of Atmosphere (Year 11)
Using Resources (Year 11)
Physics
Paper 1
Energy (Year 9)
Electricity (Year 10)
Particle Model (Year 10)
Atomic Structure (Year 10)
Paper 2
Forces (Year 10/11)
Waves (Year 11)
Magnetism and Electromagnetism (Year 11)
Space (Separate only)
Assessments
YEAR 7
AUTUMN TERM
B1.1 Cells
C1.1 Particles
P1.1 Forces
SPRING TERM
B1.2 Body
C1.2 Element
P1.2 Sound
B1.3 Reproduction
SUMMER TERM
P1.1 Forces
C1.3 Chemical Reactions
P1.3 Light
C1.4 Acids
P1.4 Space
YEAR 8
AUTUMN TERM
B2.1 Health and Lifestyle
C2.1 Periodic Table
P2.2 Energy
SPRING TERM
B2.3 Adaptation and Inheritance
C2.2 Separation Techniques
B2.2 Ecosystems
SUMMER TERM
P2.1 Electricity and Magnetism
C2.3 Metals and Acids
P2.3 Motion and Pressure
YEAR 9
AUTUMN TERM
Disease Immunity and Pandemics
Particle nature and forces
SPRING TERM
Earth
GCSE Starts
C1 Atomic Structure
SUMMER TERM
P1 Energy
B1 Cells
C2 Bonding
YEAR 10
AUTUMN
C3 Quantitative Chemistry
P3 Particle nature of matter
B2 Organisation
SPRING
C4 Chemical Changes
B3 Infection and response
C5 Energy Changes
P4 Atomic Structure
SUMMER
P2 Electricity
B4 Bioenergetics
C6 The Rate of Chemical Change
P5 Forces and Motion - part 1
YEAR 11
AUTUMN
B5 Homeostasis
C7 Organic Chemistry
P5 Forces and Motion (complete topic)
C8 Chemical Analysis
SPRING
B6 Inheritance
C9 Atmosphere
P6 Waves
C10 Using Resources
P7 Magnetism and Electromagnetism
P8 Space (Triple only)
SUMMER
GCSEs
