Sciences

Science AQA GCSE courses aim to provide pupils with a thorough understanding of fundamental knowledge and skills, through specifications which allow opportunities for contextualised learning, creative thinking and problem solving. Separate Science GCSEs provide a GCSE award each, whereas Trilogy (Dual Award as it was formally known) covers less of the material of each GCSE and is therefore worth two GCSE grades. Practical work and activities permeate through the courses and are tested in the final exams. Mathematical skills are linked to the topics. Both the Separate Science GCSEs and the Trilogy course prepare pupils well for further study. All pupils study all three sciences, either as Separate or Trilogy, so they do not limit study options later, and are able to link their learning in the three sciences together. 

Where can this subject take you? 

GCSE Science will allow a pathway through to post-16 education, be that A level or I.B. Both Trilogy and Single Science affords this entry; there is no barrier. However, Science is more than that. It is a fundamental aspect of human innovation and develops skills essential for all aspects of life. All career paths will require skills that are learnt in science lessons, from being able to analyse data to thinking critically about problems. It demands careful communication and encourages collaboration and teamwork.

Course Content/Structure 

Science covers three key topics – Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  Each topic focuses on the following: 

Biology
Cell biology, Homeostasis and Response, Organisation, Inheritance, variation and evolution, Infection and response, Ecology and Biogenergetics. 

Chemistry
States of matter, Atomic Structure and Bonding, Equations and calculations, The Periodic Table, Extraction of Metals and Electrolysis, Acids, Bases, Salts and Titrations, Analysis of gases and Ions, Rates of Reaction and Energetics, Reversible Reactions and Equilibria, The Atmosphere and Using Earth’s Resources, and Organic Chemistry. 

Physics
Energy and Electricity, Particles, Atomic/nuclear physics, Forces and motion, Waves, Magnetism and Electromagnetism, and Space Physics (Separate Science only) 

Assessment

Separate GCSE courses are assessed by two exams: 

Paper 1 (1 hour 45 min) 

Paper 2 (1 hour 45 min) 

Trilogy (Dual Award) is assessed by two exams for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, each 1 hour 15 min and covers the core content in each of the separate sciences. 

All exams are taken at the end of Year 11. 

There are no coursework components for either the Separate Sciences or Trilogy.

Additional Information

Exam Board:
AQA GCSE

Head of Department:
Matt Chalmers – mgc@rydeschool.net