Head of Faculty
Ms R. Begum (rbegum@levenshulmehigh.co.uk)
Faculty Vision
- To make science an enjoyable and participatory experience for all students, enabling each student to achieve her full potential
- To continually raise standards in students’ work by improving the quality of teaching and learning
- To encourage creative, independent thinking and develop students’ problem-solving skills
- To inspire students to enjoy lifelong learning
- To build on students’ experiences at home, at school and in the community
- To demonstrate the relevance of science to the community, the environment, the world of work and students’ everyday lives
- To develop students’ understanding of science as a truly international subject and explore its applications across countries and cultures
- To prepare students for life after school in a modern technological society
- To celebrate students’ achievements in science
Subjects
- Combined Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
Curriculum Overview
- Year 7 – 7 periods per fortnight
- Year 8 – 7 periods per fortnight
- Year 9 – 7 periods per fortnight
- Year 10 – 10 periods per fortnight
- Year 11 – 10 periods per fortnight
Topics Covered
Key Stage 3
At Levenshulme High School, our Key Stage 3 science curriculum is carefully designed and personalised to meet the needs of our students. It builds on the National Curriculum and the scientific knowledge and skills gained at Key Stage 2, nurturing inquisitive and enquiring scientific minds.
The curriculum is sequenced to develop students’ understanding of key concepts and the ‘big ideas’ of science alongside their practical skills, encouraging them to explore the world around them with curiosity, confidence and excitement.
Year 7
Year 7 builds a strong foundation in science through a broad range of biology, chemistry and physics topics, chosen to develop students’ understanding of living things, materials and the physical world, while laboratory activities and the Science Fair develop practical skills, curiosity and confidence in scientific enquiry.
- Science Introduction & Safety
- Acids and Alkalis
- Chemical Reactions
- Cells, Tissues, Organs & System
- Reproduction
- Electrical Circuits
- Forces
- Solids, Liquids and Gases
- Solubility and Purity
- Ecology
- Variation
- Space
- Science Fair
Year 8
Year 8 builds on students’ scientific knowledge and practical skills through topics that deepen their understanding of energy, matter, Earth and living processes, while investigations and the Science Fair develop their ability to explain observations, analyse evidence and work independently.
- Scientific Skills
- Light
- Sound
- Atoms, Elements and Compounds
- Rocks and the Earth
- Food
- Respiration
- Heating and Cooling
- Forces
- Study Skills
- Plants and Photosynthesis
- Doctors and Diseases
- Science Fair
Year 9
Year 9 consolidates students’ understanding of biology, chemistry and physics through topics exploring identity, chemical reactions, energy and climate science, while foundation units and scientific enquiry strengthen the knowledge and skills needed for a confident transition from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4.
- What Makes Me, Me?
- The Chemistry of metals
- Energy on the Move
- Sustainability and Climate Science
- Foundation Unit: Cell-Level Systems, Cell Structure and Transport
- Foundation Unit: Particles, Predicting and Identifying Reactions and Products
- Foundation Unit: Energy and Matter
- Practical Skills
Key Stage 4
Our Key Stage 4 science curriculum builds on the foundations established at Key Stage 3, deepening students’ scientific understanding and developing the practical, analytical and problem-solving skills needed for further study, future careers and informed decision-making.
The Science Department follows the OCR Gateway Science A specifications for GCSE Combined Science and the separate GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
GCSE Combined Science
The GCSE Combined Science course covers the following topics:
Biology
- B1: Cell level systems
- B2: Scaling up
- B3: Organism level systems
- B4: Community level systems
- B5: Genes, inheritance and selection
- B6: Global challenges
- Practical skills: Practical Activity Groups (PAGs B1–B5)
Chemistry
- C1: Particles
- C2: Elements, compounds and mixtures
- C3: Chemical reactions
- C4: Predicting and identifying reactions and products
- C5: Monitoring and controlling chemical reactions
- C6: Global challenges
- Practical skills: Practical Activity Groups (PAGs C1–C5)
Physics
- P1: Matter
- P2: Forces
- P3: Electricity and magnetism
- P4: Waves and radioactivity
- P5: Energy
- P6: Global challenges
- Practical skills: Practical Activity Groups (PAGs P1–P6)
Assessment
Students sit six examination papers: two each in biology, chemistry and physics. Each paper lasts 70 minutes, carries 60 marks and contributes approximately 16.7% of the overall qualification.
For each science, the first paper assesses topics 1–3, while the second assesses topics 4–6 and assumes knowledge of topics 1–3. Practical skills, covered by topic CS7, are assessed across all six papers.
