Science
The Science Curriculum at North Walsham High School is designed with the purpose of broadening our students understanding of the universe, the world we live in, the materials things are made from and the ideas behind how things work and function. It shows how everyday observations are explained by fundamental rules and principles which students can then apply to new and varied situations. It provides opportunities to experience science in action, to plan and investigate scientific ideas and to think critically about information allowing them to draw logical conclusions.
Our curriculum will allow students to leave North Walsham High School with an understanding of scientific thinking that can be applied to various aspects of their lives and not just in a science-based career. It will allow students to describe and explain things they experience using concise language and to make judgements based on evidence. It will also link in with other curricula across the school in areas such as the biology studied in PE and Health and Social Care; the ideas around resources and sustainability covered in Geography; the data analysis in Maths and Business Studies, and the chemical reactions that take place in Food.
Year 7
| Term | Science Curriculum Overview |
| Half term 1 (7 weeks) |
The seven characteristics of living things |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) |
Heart and circulatory system |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) |
The particle model of matter. |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) |
Solutes, solvents, solutions and solubility |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) |
Energy |
| Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) | Electrical circuits Measuring current and voltage Resistance Electromagnets & motors Wave Sound/ultrasound Light and properties of EM Spectrum |
Year 8
| Term | Science Curriculum Overview |
| Half term 1 (7 weeks) |
Internal structure of the Earth Rocks and the rock cycle Ores and the reactivity series Electrolysis Composition of the atmosphere Evolution of the atmosphere The carbon cycle Global climate change Sulfur dioxide and acid rain |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) |
Fractional distillation of crude oil Polymerisation and polymers Signs of a chemical reaction Types of chemical reactions - neutralisation, combustion, thermal decomposition, oxidation and reduction, displacement reactions and precipitation reactions. Catalysts Increasing the rate of a chemical reaction. Exothermic and endothermic reactions. |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) |
Types of forces Balanced and unbalanced forces. Contact and Non-contact forces. Hooke's Law. Forces and speed. Air resistance. Distance time graphs Mass, weight and gravitational fields Moments |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) |
Work done Pressure Atmospheric pressure Pressure in liquids Our Solar System The Sun as our star - origin and fate Day and night Seasons Waves Longitudinal waves Transverse waves and the electromagnetic spectrum. Light and the law of reflection Refraction of light Lenses |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) |
Balanced and unbalanced diets Different diets for different people. Digestive system Enzymes Bacteria in the human digestive system Food chains Food webs Energy transfers from food chains |
| Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) |
Pyramids and number and biomass. Bioaccumulation (biomagnification) of pesticides in the food chain. Modern agricultural methods. Eutrophication of fertilisers. Photosynthesis. Factors effecting the rate of photosynthesis. Adaptations of leaves for photosynthesis. Plants and mineral salts. Plant respiration. Anaerobic respiration in yeast. The animal kingdom. The plant kingdom. Selective breeding in animals and plants. Inheritance, variation, genetics and evolution. |
Year 9
| Term | Science Combined Curriculum Overview |
|
Half term 1 (7 weeks) |
P2 Electricity |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) |
B1 Cell biology |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) |
C1 Atomic structure and the Periodic Table |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) |
C2 Bonding structure and the properties of matter |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) |
P1 Energy |
| Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) |
C5 Energy changes P3 Particle model of matter |
Year 10
| Term | Science Combined Curriculum Overview |
| Half term 1 (7 weeks) |
C1 Atomic structure and the Periodic Table |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) |
B3 Infection and response |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) |
P1 Energy |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) |
P2 Electricity |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) |
P4 Atomic structure |
| Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) |
C7 Organic chemistry |
Year 10
| Term | Science Triple Curriculum Overview |
| Half term 1 (7 weeks) | The triple science course has 'bolt' on sections in addition to the combined science course. |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) | N / A |
Year 11
| Term | Science Combined Curriculum Overview |
| Half term 1 (7 weeks) |
C8 Chemical analysis |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) |
P6 waves |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) |
C6 The rate and extent of chemical change |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) |
B6 Inheritance, variation and evolution |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) | |
|
Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) |
Year 11
| Term | Science Triple Curriculum Overview |
| Half term 1 (7 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 2 (7.5 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 3 (6 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 4 (5.5 weeks) | N / A |
| Half term 5 (5 weeks) |
P8 Space Physics |
| Half term 6 (7.5 weeks) | N / A |