Course overview 

Students have 6 hours of science a fortnight. Students study a broad and engaging curriculum which consolidates and builds on the skills and knowledge acquired in Key Stage 2. 

Between September and February students study the following topics: 

• An introduction topic based around conducting experiments 

• Cells 

• Body systems 

• States of matter  

• Atoms and elements 

• Forces 

• Waves 
   

Between March and July students will study the following topics: 

• Reproduction 

• Chemical reactions 

• Acids and alkalis 

• Light 

• Space 
   

Assessment 

For each of the above topics students will complete a summative assessment which will be used to inform future setting. To prepare them for this test, students will complete a practice test before hand as well as being provided with revision materials. Students will receive at least one piece of written formative feedback for each of the above topics along with verbal and whole class feedback. In addition students will engage in self and peer assessment. 
 

Homework 

In Year 7 students will receive at least one formal piece of written homework and one EDUCAKE quiz per topic. In addition will receive learning homeworks and guided revision homework prior to the test. All homework tasks are published on the online platform of ShowMyHomework (SMH).  
 

Further ways to support at home 

Encourage your child to explore and discover revision methods that work for them. This could be through watching videos (cognito, BBC bitesize, fuseschool), making revision cards or mindmaps. 

Speak with your child about the targets they have been given and encourage them to work on improving on these in class and at home. 

Check ShowMyHomework and the nature of homework your child is completing, reviewing what they do and asking them about it. 

Course overview 

Students have 6 hours of science a fortnight. Students study a broad and engaging curriculum which further consolidates and builds on the skills and knowledge acquired so far. 

Between September and February students will study the following topics: 

• The circulatory system 

• Balanced diet 

• Periodic table 

• Chemical reactions 

• Motion 
   

Between March and July students study the following topics: 

• Habitats and adaptations 

• Populations 

• Metals 

• Electrolysis 

• Light and sound 
   

Assessment 

For each of the above topics, students will complete a summative assessment which will be used to inform future setting. To prepare them for this test, students will practice questions in class beforehand as well as being provided with revision materials. Students will receive at least one piece of written formative feedback for each of the above topics along with verbal and whole class feedback. In addition, students will engage in self and peer assessment. 
 

Homework 

In Year 8 students will receive at least one formal piece of written homework and one EDUCAKE quiz per topic. In addition will receive learning homeworks and guided revision homework prior to the test. All homework tasks are published on the online platform of ShowMyHomework (SMH).  
 

Further ways to support at home 

Encourage your child to explore and discover revision methods that work for them. This could be through watching videos (cognito, BBC bitesize, fuseschool), making revision cards or mind maps. 

Speak with your child about the targets they have been given and encourage them to work on improving on these in class and at home. 

Check ShowMyHomework and the nature of homework your child is completing, reviewing what they do and asking them about it. 

Course overview 

Students have 6 hours of science a fortnight. Students begin studying some of the more accessible topics from GCSE double award science. Around Christmas time students will be directed as to whether to pursue triple science (separate GCSE’s in biology, chemistry and physics) or double award (2 GCSE’s based on two thirds of the triple science content). 

Between September and February students study the following topics: 

• Cells 

• Transport in biology 

• Separation techniques 

• Chemical bonding 

• Energy calculation 

• Energy sources 
   

Between March and July students will study the following topics: 

• The heart 

• Plants 

• Rates of reaction 

• The atmosphere 

• Forces 

• Motion 
   

Assessment 

Students will complete 6 summative assessments over year 9 which will be used to inform future setting as well as invites to study triple science. To prepare them for this test, students will practice questions in class beforehand as well as being provided with revision materials. Students will receive at least one piece of written formative feedback for each of the above topics along with verbal and whole class feedback. In addition students will engage in self and peer assessment. 
 

Homework 

In Year 9 students will receive at least one formal piece of written homework and one EDUCAKE quiz per topic. In addition students will receive learning homeworks and guided revision homework prior to the test. All homework tasks are published on the online platform of ShowMyHomework (SMH).  
 

Further ways to support at home 

Encourage your child to explore and discover revision methods that work for them. This could be through watching videos (cognito, BBC bitesize, fuseschool, freesciencelessons), making revision cards or mindmaps. 

Speak with your child about the targets they have been given and encourage them to work on improving on these in class and at home. 

Check ShowMyHomework and the nature of homework your child is completing, reviewing what they do and asking them about it. 

Course overview 

Double award students have 10 hours of science a fortnight, triple award students have 5 hours each of biology, chemistry and physics. By the end of year 10 students will have completed the paper 1 content. In year 11 they will complete the paper 2 content. All students will loan the appropriate revision guide(s) 

Biology paper 1 

• Cell biology 

• Organisation 

• Infection and response 

• Bioenergetics 

Chemistry paper 1 

• Atomic structure and the periodic table 

• Bonding 

• Quantitative chemistry 

• Chemical changes 

• Energy changes 

Physics paper 1 

• Energy 

• Electricity 

• Particle model of matter 

• Atomic structure 

Biology paper 2 

• Cell biology 

• Homeostasis and response 

• Inheritance, variation and evolution 

• Ecology 

Chemistry paper 2 

• Rates and equilibria 

• Organic chemistry 

• Chemical analysis 

• Atmosphere 

• Resources 

Physics paper 2 

• Forces 

• Waves 

• Magnetism and electromagnestism 
   

Assessment 

Students will receive at least one piece of written formative feedback for each of the above topics along with verbal and whole class feedback. In addition, students will engage in self and peer assessment. In addition, students will receive quizzes on the EDUCAKE platform. Over time the platform can independently produce quizzes based upon student weaknesses. The program has a revision guide built in that students can access making this a very targetted revision process. 

Students will complete progress checks in each topic. These are not used to inform setting. Instead, they give staff and students valuable information on their understanding of the topic. 

Students will sit 5 ‘mock’ exams throughout years 10 and 11. These will be used to inform where intervention needs to happen as well as directing setting. 

Exam	When	Covering	Duration
1	October year 10	All content covered thus far including Y9 content	3 x 45mins
2	March year 10	All content covered thus far including Y9 content	3 x 45mins
3	June year 10	Paper 1	3 x 1hr 45mins (triple)   3 x 1hr 15mins (double)
4	December year 11	Paper 1	3 x 1hr 45mins (triple)   3 x 1hr 15mins (double)
5	March year 11	Paper 2	3 x 1hr 45mins (triple)   3 x 1hr 15mins (double)

Revision materials including check lists and revision guide page numbers will be placed on showmyhomework. Exams will be marked by the teacher and will help inform future revision, setting and intervention. 
 

Homework 

In Year 10 students will receive at least one formal piece of written homework and one EDUCAKE quiz per topic. In addition, students will receive learning homeworks and guided revision homework prior to any progress check or exam. All homework tasks are published on the online platform of ShowMyHomework (SMH).  

In year 11 students will receive fortnightly past paper question in each of biology, chemistry and physics. Students are required to complete them to the best of their ability (they can use their revision guide). They then mark them and make corrections. Finally, students should then revise the areas of the topic that they struggled on. This process if done correctly is an incredibly powerful way of revising. 

Further ways to support at home 

Encourage your child to explore and discover revision methods that work for them. This could be through watching videos (cognito, BBC bitesize, fuseschool, freesciencelessons), making revision cards or mindmaps. The revision guides are invaluable tools that can be used to help facilitate effective revision. 

Speak with your child about the targets they have been given and encourage them to work on improving on these in class and at home. 

Check ShowMyHomework and the nature of homework your child is completing, reviewing what they do and asking them about it.

At South Wolds academy we aim to build on prior biological knowledge from KS4 so that it is thoroughly embedded to ensure all learners make excellent progress.  

• The curriculum incites engagement and curiosity in learning how A level Biology relates to the world around us. 

• The course provides opportunities for learners to develop confidence in practical skills in a mutually respectful environment.  

• Alongside students that choose to study at university, learners are prepared for success in either a STEM related career or higher apprenticeship.  
   

Course overview 

Topics covered in Y12 include; 
 

1. Biological molecules. 

2. Cells. 

3. Organisms exchange substances with their environment. 

4. Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms. 
    

Practical component: Six required practicals and twelve apparatus and techniques 
 

Topics covered in Y13 include; 
 

5. Energy transfers in and between organisms. 

6. Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments. 

7. Genetics, Populations, Evolution and ecosystems. 

8. The control of gene expression. 
    

Practical component: Six required practicals and twelve apparatus and techniques 
 

Assessment 

Each topic is broken down into chapters. At the end of each chapter there are formal assessments to check the retention of knowledge throughout: These are composed of past paper questions. There are also formal mock examinations in January for both Y12 and Y13. Additional mock examinations are also held at the end of Y12 (2 full AS papers) and in the spring of Y13. Final examinations take place between May and June in Y13. The final examinations consist of paper 1 and 2, both are 2 hrs long and paper 3 which is 1.5hrs long. 

Mock Exam	When	Covering	Duration
1	Feb Y12	All content covered thus far  Topic 1 and topic 2	2 papers 1 hrs
2	June Y12	Topics 1-4	2 papers 1.5 hrs
3	Jan Y13	Paper 1 and paper 2	2 x 2 hrs
4	March Y13	Paper 3	1.5 hrs

Homework 

Students are expected to read content from the textbook in advance of the lesson. The lesson reading is set by teachers on showmyhomework.  

Due to the vast content of the course, students are expected to learn key vocabulary and specific structures of organisms, this ensures that our learners are developed within the lesson so that the focus is on learning how to apply new biological concepts in a new context. 

In addition, students are set past paper questions on a fortnightly basis by each teacher. Students are expected to self assess weekly progress of examination style questions. 
 

Further ways to support at home 

Kerboodle study guides available for each chapter of the course. 

Past paper resources can be found on cognito 

https://www.cognitoresources.org/resources/a-level/pastpapers/biology/aqa 
 

Videos are a great learning tool in Biology. At South Wolds, we recommend the following sites; 

https://www.freesciencelessons.co.uk/a-level-revision-videos/a-level-biology/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@MissEstruchBiology 

Course overview 

We follow the AQA A-Level Chemistry (7405) course. In year 12 chapters 1-16 are delivered along with required practical 1-6. In year 13 chapters 17-33 are delivered along with required practical 7-12. The course content is shown below split into sections, as per the exam structure. 

3.1 Physical chemistry  3.1.1 Atomic structure  3.1.2 Amount of substance  3.1.3 Bonding  3.1.4 Energetics  3.1.5 Kinetics  3.1.6 Chemical equilibria, Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc  3.1.7 Oxidation, reduction and redox equations  3.1.8 Thermodynamics (A-level only)  3.1.9 Rate equations (A-level only)  3.1.10 Equilibrium constant Kp for homogeneous systems (A-level only)  3.1.11 Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells (A-level only)  3.1.12 Acids and bases (A-level only)

3.2 Inorganic chemistry  3.2.1 Periodicity  3.2.2 Group 2, the alkaline earth metals  3.2.3 Group 7(17), the halogens  3.2.4 Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides (A-level only)  3.2.5 Transition metals (A-level only)  3.2.6 Reactions of ions in aqueous solution (A-level only)

3.3 Organic chemistry  3.3.1 Introduction to organic chemistry  3.3.2 Alkanes  3.3.3 Halogenoalkanes  3.3.4 Alkenes  3.3.5 Alcohols  3.3.6 Organic analysis  3.3.7 Optical isomerism (A-level only)  3.3.8 Aldehydes and ketones (A-level only)  3.3.9 Carboxylic acids and derivatives (A-level only)  3.3.10 Aromatic chemistry (A-level only)  3.3.11 Amines (A-level only)  3.3.12 Polymers (A-level only)  3.3.13 Amino acids, proteins and DNA (A-level only)  3.3.14 Organic synthesis (A-level only)  3.3.15 Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (A-level only)  3.3.16 Chromatography (A-level only)

Assessment 

There are formal assessments at the end of each chapter to check the retention of knowledge throughout: These are composed of past paper questions. There are also formal mocks at the end of Y12 (2 full AS papers) and in the spring of Y13 (3 papers, first 2 full AS papers, the third a bespoke paper created based on the taught content of A2) 
 

Homework 

As a matter of course the pupils are expected to complete the summary questions from the textbook for each lesson they have attended and to make notes from the textbook as they move though the course. In addition to this In Y12 they are given a range of tailor-made homework's to address any weakness from GCSE and move them into the style of independent work. In Y13 all the above applies but they are also given fortnightly revision packs to complete composed of past paper questions. 
 

Further ways to support at home 

Pupils can access the online versions of all powerpoints and worksheets used in lessons to catch up any missed work or to further their understanding. 

There are a range of websites and online resources that can be used to aid revision: 

https://www.chemguide.co.uk/ - A very good all-round course that explains concepts in simple terms 

https://chemrevise.org/revision-guides/ - Revision notes and guides broken down by chapter 

https://www.youtube.com/@crashcourse - Video playlist of chemistry concepts explained in great detail. 

Course overview 

Year 12: 

Measurements and Errors 

Particles 

Electricity 

Materials 

Mechanics 

Waves 

 

Year 13: 

Further mechanics 

Fiels (Magnetic, Gravitational and Electric) 

Thermal Physics 

Nuclear Physics 

Astrophysics Option module 
 

Assessment 

End of topic progress checks at the end of all topics 

AS Paper 1 and 2 mock exam summer year 12 
 

Homework 

Weekly homework in a variety of formats: research tasks, summary questions via the textbook, exam questions.  

From Feb pupils are issued with a past paper pack covering year 12 content that they complete each week on top of the prescribed homework's for each topic. 
 

Further ways to support at home 

Youtube:  

Cognito and DrPhysicsA 

PAT (Physics and Maths tutor website) bank of questions by topic, plus revision resources 

Isaac physics – online website with weekly challenges to sign up to