Gosforth Junior High Academy
Science
The aim of the curriculum is to develop ‘working scientifically’ skills such as planning, conducting, recording, concluding and evaluating as well as secure curriculum knowledge to help create a solid foundation to move onto KS3.
Intent
The KS2 Science curriculum is structured to allow pupils to explore science through practical work. Pupils use scientific knowledge they have acquired during lessons and science projects, at the end of each topic. The aim of the curriculum is to develop ‘working scientifically’ skills such as planning, conducting, recording, concluding and evaluating as well as secure curriculum knowledge to help create a solid foundation to move onto KS3.
The KS3 Science curriculum is designed for all students to succeed. The curriculum allows children to build upon skills and knowledge learned at KS2 with a hands on approach through regular practical work.
Key Stage 3 Science uses ten key principles to promote engaging lessons where children can develop key skills in areas such as enquiry, analysis and evaluation as well as cover new engaging curriculum content such as genetic engineering. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions and solve problems throughout the curriculum to help develop a scientific mind, through CSI theme days and developing questioning routines for practical work. The aim of the curriculum is to develop pupils’ extensive knowledge and expertise through application.
These ten key principles aim to equip students with a secure science foundation for students to be successful at KS4.
Implementation
The KS2 curriculum focusses on key concepts that help children make sense of the world around them. They explore areas such as Living things and their habitats, properties and changes of materials, evolution and inheritance as well as areas such as electricity, and Earth and space. Curriculum knowledge is shared with pupils in a variety of ways such as engaging lessons, enquiry-based experiments and hands-on projects.
The curriculum uses 10 key principles from the 3 science specialisms. Physics themes include: Forces, Electromagnets, Energy and Waves. Chemistry themes: Matter, Reactions and Earth. Biology themes: Organisms, Ecosystems and Genes. Children revisit these themes in year 8 but explore a different topic within them. They use and build upon knowledge learnt from year 7 to achieve mastery goals by year 8. For example in year 7 pupils will explore ideas around acids and alkalis in the theme ‘Reactions’, moving on to reaction types and energy in reactions in year 8.
Impact
Children are making big progress in two key areas: ‘Working Scientifically’ and ‘Application of Knowledge’.
The curriculum is designed to help develop pupils’ ‘Working Scientifically’ skills throughout the key stages. For example, we role model skills needed for KS4 practical experiments early in the year, e.g. risk assessments and controlling variables. Then, as the year continues, pupils are encouraged to determine these for themselves. We have seen big progress in areas such as presenting and analysing data, as well as numeracy.
Children’s ability to apply their knowledge to new situations also progresses throughout the key stages. Regular formative assessment on the application of subject knowledge assists pupils in demanding summative assessments.
Science Curriculum Map
| Year Group | Half Term 1 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 3 | Half Term 4 | Half Term 5 | Half Term 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year 5 |
Earth and planets orbit the Sun. Moon orbits the Earth. Sun, Earth and Moon are spherical. Earth’s rotation causes day and night. |
Gravity pulls unsupported objects to Earth. Air, water resistance and friction effects. Mechanisms multiply force (levers, pulleys, gears).
|
Compare materials by physical properties. Materials dissolve to form solutions. Separate mixtures by physical methods.
|
Choose materials using fair test evidence. Dissolving, mixing are reversible changes. Some changes form new materials.
|
Characteristics of living things. Compare life cycles of animals. Describe reproduction in plants, animals.
|
Describe human growth to old age. Use timelines for human development. Compare human and animal gestation. |
| Assessment: Earth and Space Forces Assessment plus Forces Practical Assessment. | Assessment: Properties and changes assessment plus Practical Assessment (jelly investigation). | Assessment: Living Things Assessment plus Practical Assessment (seed germination. | ||||
Year 6 |
Link brightness or volume to the number of cells. Explain differences in circuit components. Use standard symbols in circuits. |
Classify organisms by observable traits. Explain reasons for classification. Use keys to identify species.
|
Light travels in straight lines. Objects seen by reflected light. Shadows match the shape of objects casting them. |
The circulatory system parts, functions. Diet, exercise, drugs affect body. Transport of nutrients and water. |
Living things change over time. Fossils show ancient life evidence. Traits passed from parents to offspring. |
Living things produce offspring, usually not identical to parents. Animals and plants adapt, potentially leading to evolution. |
| Assessment: Electricity Assessment and Living things Assessment plus Mould Investigation. | Assessment: Light Assessment. | Assessment: Animals Including Humans Assessment and Evolution Assessment. | ||||
Year 7 |
Electric current in series, parallel circuits. Voltage, resistance, and current relationships. Static electricity. |
Particle model explains states of matter. Gas pressure from particle collisions. Dissolving and diffusion with particles. Separation: filtration, evaporation, distillation, chromatography. |
Cells: structure, organelles, and functions. Plant and animal cell differences. Diffusion moves materials in cells. Multicellular hierarchy: cells to systems. |
Speed, distance, time relationships. Distance-time graphs represent journeys. Relative motion of moving objects. Forces: pushes, pulls, force diagrams. |
Chemical vs physical changes. Acids, alkalis, neutralisation reactions. pH scale and indicators. Acid reactions: metals and alkalis.
|
Organisms’ interdependence in ecosystems. Insect pollination and food security. Environmental impacts and bioaccumulation. Plant reproduction, pollination, seed dispersal.
|
| Assessment: Electricity and Particle Model Assessment. | Assessment: Electricity, Particle Model, Cells and Forces. | Assessment: Electricity, Particle Model, Cells and Forces, Acids and Alkalis and Interdependance. | ||||
Year 8 |
Human reproduction: organs, gametes, fertilisation. Menstruation, gestation, and birth. Moments and motion effects. Hooke’s Law, work, energy. |
Nutrients and their dietary roles. Energy requirements and dietary imbalances. Digestive system structure, function. The role of bacteria and enzymes. |
Magnetic poles, attraction, and repulsion. Magnetic fields, plotting, and representation. Electromagnets. Comparing energy, power and work. |
Energy transfer via conduction, convection and radiation. Thermal equilibrium and use of insulators. Simple machines trade force for distance. |
Photosynthesis: reactants, products, and summary. Life depends on photosynthetic energy. Leaf adaptations for photosynthesis. Aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration. |
Fermentation in plants and yeast. Heredity, DNA, genes, and chromosomes. Variation, competition, and natural selection. Biodiversity, extinction, and gene preservation. |
| Assessment: Reproduction and Forces. | Assessment: Reproduction, Forces, Magentism and Energy Transfers. | Assessment: Reproduction, Forces, Magentism and Energy Transfers, Bioenergetics and Evolution. | ||||
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