Science

All students in Years 9, 10 and 11 study Science. Students who opt for Triple Science as one of their options will gain 3 Science GCSEs. Those who do not take this as one of their options will gain a science award which is worth two GCSEs and given a double grade from 9-9 to 1-1. Students study the AQA Combined Science (Trilogy) specification which covers elements of all three specialisms (Physics, Chemistry and Biology). GCSE Science builds on the knowledge and concepts introduced in Key Stage 3 and develops students’ understanding of the world around them, the human body and key scientific processes. In order to be successful in Science students need to be able to work independently, analyse information, have good grasp of mathematics and be able to take on knowledge and apply it to new situations.

What will I learn?

Outline units for Double Science are shown in the table below.

How will I be assessed?

All exams are taken at the end of Year 11 with six one papers, two for each of the three Science specialisms. Each paper is worth an equal amount of the total marks and exams are available at both higher and foundation tier. There is no longer any non-examined assessment in Science. Instead, students are internally assessed on a number of practical tasks which will be assessed as part of their exam questions.

What could my next steps be?

All careers and further study use the skills and understanding gained by completing Science GCSE and, as such, it is a core subject taken by all students. However, should students wish to study Science further, achieving a grade 6-6 in Science allows them to study separate Sciences at A-Level. For students who prefer a more hands-on study of Science and who achieve grade 5-5 at GCSE, we also offer A-Level 3 BTEC Applied Science course in the Sixth form.

Mr Wright (Head of Science) - wrightb@hallparkacademy.org.uk