Our aims within the Science department is to encourage students to be inquisitive about the world around them and to pursue natural curiosity. We encourage students to be critical thinkers and to develop problem solving skills, using the experience of practical work (scientific enquiry) in the laboratory to aid this for future careers. Students develop their skills and understanding as the world around them becomes increasingly more advanced throughout their education and beyond. They trace the development of Science worldwide and recognise its cultural significance. They learn to question and discuss issues that may affect their own lives, the directions of societies and the future of the world.

From June 2018, all GCSE Science students at Perryfields have been under taking the new-style examinations for the courses introduced in September 2016. The examination board for Science is AQA. The gradings for these examinations will be based on the 9-1 system.

Students opt in Year 9 to study either Combined Science (equivalent to two GCSEs) or Separate Sciences – Biology, Chemistry and Physics (equivalent to three separate GCSEs). All courses studied are from the AQA suite of Science qualifications.

All Science students complete a series of practical investigations required by the examination board over their three-year course, keeping a record of this work in their books. Consistent lesson attendance is vital, as knowledge of these investigations is examined in the terminal examinations.

The tables below shows the science topics being covered throughout the year and in each year group – it is broken down half termly. Interspersed throughout the year there will be additional lessons, these are:

• Scientific skills development lessons
• Maths skills development lessons
• Required practical lessons
• Review and revision lessons