Aims of the department.

To increase girls’ body of scientific knowledge

To encourage development of reasoning and investigative skills.

To encourage an awareness of the way in which science plays a part in our lives.

To encourage a responsible attitude towards the use of scientific knowledge and processes in our society.

There is no setting in the science department. However, staff may set different work, of higher or lower demand, for some girls within a class to better meet those girls’ educational needs.

In years 7 and 8 girls have three hours of Science a week with the same teacher for all lessons.
They are set two pieces of homework per week.

Topics taught in Year 7

Main textbook: Thinking Through Science 1.

Autumn term

Environment and feeding relationships

Electricity

Solids, liquids and gases

Variation and classification

Spring term

Acids and alkalis

Forces and their effects

Cells

Reproduction

Summer term

Solutions

Simple chemical reactions

The solar system

Energy resources

Topics taught in Year 8

Main textbook: Thinking Through Science 2

Autumn term

Food and digestion

Ecology

Rocks and weathering

Heating and cooling

Atoms and elements

Spring term

Sound

Respiration

Compounds and mixtures

Light

Summer term

Microbes and disease

The rock cycle

Magnets and electromagnetism

In year 9 girls have one hour a week of each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Each subject is taught by a teacher who specialises in that area of Science. Girls are set three pieces of homework a week, one by each teacher.

Topics taught in Year 9

Main textbook: Thinking Through Science 3

Autumn term

Salts of the Earth (chemistry)

Fit and healthy (biology)

Pressure and moments (physics)

Spring term

Environment (biology)

Patterns of reactivity (chemistry)

Forces and space (physics)

Summer term

Genes and inheritance (biology)

Using chemistry (chemistry)

Energy and electricity (physics)

In years 10 and 11 girls may study for Science GCSE (OCR J640) and Additional Science GCSE (OCR J641) or they may study for Biology GCSE (OCR J643), Chemistry GCSE (OCR J644) and Physics GCSE (OCR J645) as separate courses.

Science GCSE (OCR J640)

Module B1: Understanding ourselves.
Module C1: Carbon chemistry
Module P1: Energy for the home
Module B2: Understanding our environment
Module C2: rocks and metals
Module P2: Living for the future

Additional Science GCSE (OCR J641)

Module B3: Living and growing
Module C3: The periodic table
Module P3: Forces for transport
Module B4: It’s a green world
Module C4: Chemical economics
Module P4: Radiation for life

Biology GCSE (OCR J643)

Module B1: Understanding ourselves.
Module B2: Understanding our environment
Module B3: Living and growing
Module B4: It’s a green world
Module B5: The living body
Module B6: Beyond the microscope

Chemistry GCSE (OCR J644)

Module C1: Carbon chemistry
Module C2: rocks and metals
Module C3: The periodic table
Module C4: Chemical economics
Module C5: How much?
Module C6: Chemistry out there

Physics GCSE (OCR J645)

Module P1: Energy for the home
Module P2: Living for the future
Module P3: Forces for transport
Module P4: Radiation for life
Module P5: Space for reflection
Module P6: Electricity for gadgets