AQA GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics

AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy

Biology - Year 11 Course Overview

Triple and Combined Science students will cover differentiated content for each course outlined in each AQA syllabus.

Autumn Term

• 4.6 Inheritance, Variation and Evolution

Spring Term
• Students will revisit the Biology syllabus to improve knowledge and develop skills in accordance with AQA’s assessment objectives (AO) 1, 2 and 3
AO1 Knowledge: Use key vocabulary to communicate understanding of facts, laws, phenomena and models of science. (30%)
AO2 Application: Apply understanding of scientific concepts to qualitative and quantitative data to hypothesise, analyse and conclude. (50%)
AO3 Validation: Using statistical or descriptive observations, design and evaluate scientific procedure and evidence. (20%)

Biology Pre Public Exams (PPEs) - January Paper 2 and February Paper 1

PPE help to establish progress
PPEs allow both students and teachers to gauge progress and identify where improvements need to be made, with sufficient time to do so.

PPEs are a good way to hone revision techniques
When revising for exams, it is important that students to find techniques that works best for them. PPEs are the perfect way to find out what works well.

PPEs are good practice
Although mock exam conditions are slightly different to summer exams, they are still good practice.

Summer Term
• Revision, Exam Preparation and Exams

Science Investigations/Practicals
Students will be carry out a wide range of investigations which will allow them to apply their knowledge and understanding to what they experience.

Investigations will:
* Develop basic skills such as selecting and using equipment, and learning various techniques
* Illustrate a concept or process, offering first-hand experience before further discussion or analysis
* Encourage students to ask questions and make predictions
* Extend the scope of the curriculum

Required Practicals – Year 9 to Year 11 students will need to undertake all required practical activities, (details can be found in the GCSE Biology specification 8461). Students will have the opportunity to experience the use of all the apparatus and a range of techniques required by Ofqual.
1) Microscopy
2) Microbiology
3) Osmosis
4) Enzymes
5) Food tests
6) Photosynthesis
7) Reaction time
8) Plant responses
9) Field investigations
10) Decay

Assessments
KS3 – Assessments will take the form of relatively short half-termly tests and more rigorous and lengthy end of term tests. All tests will include content from previous topics.
KS4 – Assessments will take the form of termly tests and pre-public exams (PPEs) using AQA past papers. Year 10 PPEs will be in term 2 and 3; Year 11 PPEs will be in term 1 and term 2.

Chemistry - Year 11 Course Overview

In Year 11 we aim to complete the organic chemistry unit by the end of term one. The remainder of the year will be based around preparing for the summer GCSE exams. Coursework is no longer part of the assessment but there is a set Required Practicals for each Science that has to be covered during lesson time over the two years and may be covered in the written exam.

In November/December of Year 11 all pupils will sit a chemistry PPE. This test will help finalise which tier paper they will be sitting in the final GCSE exam.

Science Investigations/Practicals
Students will be carry out a wide range of investigations which will allow them to apply their knowledge and understanding to what they experience.

Investigations will:
* Develop basic skills such as selecting and using equipment, and learning various techniques
* Illustrate a concept or process, offering first-hand experience before further discussion or analysis
* Encourage students to ask questions and make predictions
* Extend the scope of the curriculum

Required Practicals – Year 9 to Year 11 students will need to undertake all required practical activities, (details can be found in the GCSE Chemistry specification 8462). Students will have the opportunity to experience the use of all the apparatus and a range of techniques required by Ofqual.

The chemistry practical’s are as follows:
Making salts
Neutralisation
Electrolysis
Temperature changes
Rates of reaction
Chromatography
Identifying ions
Water purification

Physics - Year 11 Course Overview

The following unit will be covered:
• Forces

In Year 11 we will complete the final unit by the end of term one. The remainder of the year will be based around preparing for the summer GCSE exams.

In January of Year 11 all pupils will sit a paper 2 Physics PPE; in February they will sit a Paper 1 PPE. These will help finalise which tier paper they will be sitting in the final GCSE exam.

Useful links:

Separate Sciences

Biology  http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/biology-8461

Chemistry http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/chemistry-8462

Physics http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/physics-8463

Combined Science (Trilogy)

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/gcse/combined-science-trilogy-8464

KS4 Revision Guides

The Science department is happy to offer students the opportunity to purchase a KS4 all-in-one revision guide and exam practice book to help support them when they are revising for the end of topic and termly tests that we carry out in Science.

Students will be guided to buy a specific book, or books, according to the GCSE course they are studying:

• Separate/Triple Science students will need one book per Science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics at a cost of £4 each = £12 total.
• Double/Combined Science students will need one book that includes all three sciences at a cost of £8. This book comes in two tiers, either higher or foundation.

We are able to offer it at cost price whereas it costs far more in the shops or online.

They are not compulsory and will not be used in lessons or for homework but we wanted to offer them to students as parents have often mentioned that they wanted to be able to support their children when they are revising at home.

The book is split up into the different topics with sections to revise, questions to check their knowledge and understanding and then a big multi-topic exam (with mark scheme) at the end.

Revision guides can be purchased through the ParentPay website.

Message from the Science Team

As part of our commitment to your child, the Science department are endeavouring to support each and every student achieve their potential. The GCSE exams are made up of approximately 40% knowledge recall and this is what we are basing our fortnightly online quizzes on. These knowledge based tasks can help to secure a student at least 32% (if they get the 80% pass rate we ask of them). In last summer's exams, 32% was enough to secure a grade 4 or 5 in the higher papers and a grade 2 or 3 in the foundation papers. Building on this knowledge within lesson time will allow the students to achieve even higher grades as they apply and evaluate in new situations. The assessments have been tailored to meet the needs of each student based on their set, ability, tier of entry and their own specific needs. Please feel free to contact your child's subject teacher if you have any questions.