KS4 Science

At KS4 our students are entered for the 21st Century Suite of GCSEs.

More information about this suite of GCSEs can be found at http://www.ocr.org.uk and http://www.21stcenturyscience.org

This site also features a film of staff and student experiences of the courses. This was partly filmed at Settle College and features our student’s talking about their experiences of 21st Century Science.

http://www.21stcenturyscience.org/support/voices-from-the-classroom,1561,NA.html

Each student has six 50 minute lessons a week: two Biology, two Chemistry and two Physics.

Science GCSE

All students take GCSE Science. This specification is designed as the primary Science qualification for all candidates at KS4. It aims to enhance candidates' ‘scientific literacy', leading to better engagement with science.

The course is designed to enable candidates to:

recognise the impact of Science and technology on everyday life;
make informed personal decisions about issues and questions that involve science;
understand and reflect on the information included in (or omitted from) media reports and other sources of information.

This specification comprises nine teaching modules which are assessed through five Units. The first three Units, each worth 16.7% of the total GCSE marks, use objective questions to assess knowledge and understanding of the specification content, and application of that knowledge and understanding. The fourth Unit, also worth 16.7% uses structured questions to assess Ideas about Science in familiar and unfamiliar contexts. The final Skills Assessment Unit (33.3%) comprises a practical data analysis and a case study. This Unit is assessed by teachers, internally standardised and then externally moderated by OCR.

Additional most students take either an Additional Science GCSE or an Applied Science GCSE, so that each student gains two science GCSE awards.

Applied Science GCSE

GCSE Applied Science is a course which meets the needs of students who wish to develop their scientific understanding through authentic, work-related contexts. The course focuses on procedural and technical knowledge that underpins the work of practitioners of science and gives students an insight into what is involved in being a practitioner of science.

This specification, together with GCSE Science, aims to provide candidates with the scientific understanding needed to progress to further studies of science, typically Vocational Applied courses such as BTEC Forensic Science, should they choose to undertake them. It offers the perspective of the practitioner by focussing on practical competencies in contexts where the results clearly matter.

It is pre-vocational in the sense that candidates will explore how science underpins a range of science-related work places.
It builds upon and develops the range of the GCSE Science A modules by exploring the ways in which science is applied to the areas of activity.

There is a choice of modules. Each student takes three modules chosen from:

Life Care
Agriculture and Food
Harnessing Chemicals and
Communications.

Each module is assessed by a written paper, worth 16.7% of the total GCSE marks. The papers use structured questions to assess knowledge and understanding of the specification content, and application of that knowledge and understanding. The fourth Unit (50%) comprises a portfolio of work related tasks, assessed by teachers, internally standardised and then externally moderated by OCR.

Additional Science

GCSE Additional Science is a concept-led course developed to meet the needs of candidates seeking a deeper understanding of basic scientific ideas. The course focuses on scientific explanations and models, and gives candidates an insight into how scientists develop scientific understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit.

Candidates should gain a deeper understanding of:

Scientific explanations and models
How these concepts can be applied to the benefit of humanity
How scientists help to develop our understanding of ourselves and the world we inhabit.

This specification comprises nine teaching modules which are assessed through five Units. The first three Units, each worth 16.7% of the total GCSE marks, use objective questions to assess knowledge and understanding of the specification content, and application of that knowledge and understanding. The fourth Unit, also worth 16.7% uses structured questions to focus on three modules, one each of biology, chemistry and physics, with the subject made clear by pre-release material. The fifth Skills Assessment Unit (33.3%) comprises a complete practical investigation task, assessed by teachers, internally standardised and then externally moderated by OCR.

Postscript to GCSEs

We have been very impressed both by the courses and by our student’s positive reaction to them. Our GCSE results since teaching the new 21st Century Science GCSEs have improved markedly. Being part of the pilot has also allowed us to take part in developing the courses we now teach.

Currently one member of the department acts as a Principal Examiner for the Science GCSE which involves writing some of the exam papers and another member of the department acts as a Moderator checking the standards of GCSE coursework for centres across the country.