At Wallingford school the Science curriculum aims to:

  • Ensure the curriculum builds on pupils’ varying knowledge of science from primary school and provides frequent opportunities to develop their planning, analytical, evaluatory and problem solving skills through practical and investigative work.
  • Develop learners who have a thirst for knowledge and the creativity to become Scientists of tomorrow by nurturing enquiring minds to ask “Why?” and “How?”.
  • Develop students’ appreciation of the impact science has on their lives both positive and negative.
  • Ensure a science curriculum that stretches and challenges the ablest while also providing the scaffolding needed to ensure that students of all abilities achieve and exceed their potential.
  • Provide curriculum pathways which support students of all abilities ensuring the best opportunities to successfully access higher education.
  • Develop students mathematical and scientific literacy skills through applications in science.

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Key Stage 3 - Years 7, 8 and 9

Year 7, Terms 1-6
7.1-7.2 7A Cells Inheritance and the Genome
7B Substance, Mixtures, Atoms and Elements
7C Energy
7.3-7.4 7D From Cells to Organ Systems
7E Chemical Reactions
7F Forces
7.5-7.6 7G Reproduction
7H Space
Revision for end of year assessments
Year 8, Terms 1-6
8.1-8.2 8A Biochemistry
8B Elements and Mixtures
8C Waves
8.3-8.4 8D Health and Fitness
8E Reactions and Sustainability
8F Electricity and Magnetism
8.5-8.6 8G Organisms and their Environment
8H Earth Science
Revision for end of year assessments
Year 9, Terms 1-6
9.1 C1 Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
9.2 P1 Energy
9.3 B1 Cell Biology
9.4 C2 Bonding
9.5 P3 Particles
9.6 Revision and Biology Investigation

Combined Science GCSE - Years 10, 11

Year 10, Terms 1-6
10.1 B2 Organisation
C3 Quantitative Chemistry
P4 Atomic Structure
10.2 B3 Infection and Response
C4 Chemical Changes
P2 Electricity
10.3 B4 Bioenergetics
C5 Energy Changes
10.4 Revision for Year 10 exams: Biology topics 1, 2 and 3, Chemistry topics 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Physics topics 1, 2, 3 and 4
10.5 C6 Rates of Reactions
P6 Waves
10.6 B7 Ecology
C8 Chemical Analysis
P7 Electromagnetism
Year 11, Terms 1-4
11.1 B5 Homeostasis
C7 Hydrocarbons
P5 Forces 1
11.2 B6 Inheritance
C9 The Atmosphere
P5 Forces 2
11.3 C10 Using Resources
11.4 Revision

Triple Science GCSE - Years 10, 11

Year 10, Terms 1-6
10.1 B2 Organisation
C3 Quantitative Chemistry
P2 Electricity
10.2 C4 Chemical Changes
B3 Infection and Response
P2 Electricity
10.3 C4 Chemical Changes (Continued)
B4 Bioenergetics
P4 Atomic Structure
10.4 C1, C2, C3 and C4 Revision
Bio: Revision for Y10 Exams
Phy: Revision of P1-4
10.5 C5 Energy Changes
B7 Ecology
P6 Waves
10.6 C6 Rates of Reaction
B7 Ecology
P7 Electrogmanetism
Year 11, Terms 1-5
11.1 B5 Homeostasis
C7 Hydrocarbons
P8 Electromagnetism
P5 Forces 1
11.2 C8 Chemical Analysis
Bio: Revision for mocks
P5.2 Forces 2
11.3 C9 Chemistry of the Atmosphere
B6 Inheritance, Variation and Disease
P8 Space
11.4 C10 Using Resources
Bio: Revision
11.5 Bio: Revision

Biology A Level - Years 12, 13

Year 12, Terms 1-6
12.1 Biological molecules; nucleotides; cell structure; transport.
12.2 Cell recognition and the immune system; DNA and protein synthesis; exchange surfaces; genetic diversity.
12.3 Transport in plants; Biodiversity
12.4 Photosynthesis; response to stimuli
12.5 Response to stimuli; Populations and sustainability
12.6 Revision for mocks
Year 13, Terms 1-6
13.1 Neuronal communication • Respiration • Homeostasis
13.2 Inherited change • Homeostasis • Gene expression
13.3 Populations and evolution • Recombinant DNA technology
13.4 Revision and mock exams
13.5-13.6 Revision

Chemistry A Level - Years 12, 13

Year 12, Terms 1-6
12.1 Introduction to atoms • Amount of substance • Structure and Bonding • Electron structure
12.2 Acids and Redox •Basic Organic • Periodicity • Alkanes • Reactivity Trends • Alkenes
12.3 Enthalpy • Rates • Alcohols • Haloalkanes
12.4 Spectroscopy • Organic Synthesis • Revision
12.5 Transition Metals • Aromatic
12.6 Revision for mocks
Year 13, Terms 1-6
13.1 Rates of reaction • Equilibria • Carbonyls • Amines and amino acids and proteins • Organic synthesis
13.2 Acids, bases and pH • Buffers and neutralisation • Enthalpy and entropy • Spectroscopy • Equilibria (continued) • Organic synthesis (continued)
13.3 Redox and electrode potential • Spectroscopy (Continued) • Enthalpy and entropy (continued)
13.4 Transition Metals Recap • Aromatic Recap • Revision
13.5-13.6 Revision

Physics A Level - Years 12, 13

Year 12, Terms 1-6
12.1 Kinematics; Linear motion; Projectile motion; Dynamics; Non-uniform acceleration; Moments and equilibrium; Density and pressure; Scalar and vector; ; springs; properties of matter.
12.2 Properties of matter (cont.); Newton's Laws; collisions; charge; mean drift velocity; triangle of forces; work, energy and power; kinetic and potential; power; wave motion.
12.3 EM waves; superposition; stationary waves; EMF & Pd; resistance and resistivity; series and parallel.
12.4 Series and parallel (cont.); energy of photon; PE effect; W/P duality; internal resistance and potential dividers.
12.5 Thermal physics; capacitors.
12.6 Revision
Year 13, Terms 1-4
13.1 Circular motion; centripetal force; simple harmonic oscillations; point and spherical mass; Netwon's law of gravitation; the nuclear atom; fundamental particles.
13.2 Planetary motion; radioactivity; nuclear fisson; X-rays; Coulomb's law; magnetic fields.
13.3 X-rays (cont.); diagnostic; electromagnetism; thermal properties; ideal gases; stars.
13.4 EM radiation; cosmology; ultrasound; revision.