Autumn 

Spring 

Summer 

Year 7 

Topic title:  

Chemistry - Particles 

This unit of work begins with the particle model and the movement of particles in diffusion and changing state.  Pure and impure substances are taught along with methods to separate mixtures.  

Biology - Cells 

This unit of work begins at looking at animal and plant cells, moving onto how to use a microscope to estimate size. From there, organisation of multicellular organisms in terms of cells-tissues-organs-systems and why complex organisms need these systems in order to keep cells alive. Diffusion and transport are the connecting ideas. The digestive system and breathing system are used as two example systems, but the focus really is on the adaptations of these systems in terms of diffusion – introducing ideas such as thin membranes, surface area and blood supply. 

Topic title:  

Physics – Energy 

This unit of work begins with looking at how heat is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation. This follows onto the idea of insulation and how we can insulate our homes. We will then introduce the main energy stores and pathways. This follows on to look at conservation and energy found in foods.   From there, students will study the relationship between power and energy, introducing SI units, and how to calculate electricity costs.  The unit finishes with a study of energy resources, starting with the formation and use of fossil fuels, moving to renewable sources. 

Biology – Reproduction 

This unit begins with the structure of the male and female reproductive system and progresses to sexual reproduction, fertilisation, embryo development and implantation, development of the foetus, birth and growth. The cycle is completed by coming back to puberty and menstruation. The unit then moves on to look at plant sexual reproduction and seed dispersal methods. 

Chemistry - Chemical reactions 

This unit begins by looking at the difference between physical and chemical changes, and how to spot evidence for a chemical reaction. This work continues into using oxidation as a common example of a reaction and simple word equations are introduced. Particle diagrams support the idea of the conservation of mass. The unit then moves onto acids and alkalis, using simple indicators and neutralisation as a further common chemical reaction. 

Topic title:  

Physics – Forces 

This unit begins by naming forces, drawing forces diagrams & measuring forces. This leads into looking at the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces. With the relevant data provided about gravitational field strength of other planets, students can calculate weight on other planets. The link is made between force and pressure, allowing students to perform pressure calculations and use the idea of pressure to explain everyday situations. The remainder of the unit looks at how forces affect the speed of an object, making speed calculations and interpreting distance-time graphs. 

Biology – Ecology 

This is an introduction to the topic of Ecology which will be further developed in year 8. 

This unit begins by looking at food chains, webs and bioaccumulation. Students will then explore factors affecting populations of organisms, impacts of changing populations and look at the required practical to estimate daisy population.  

Knowledge Organiser Link 

Year 7 Autumn Term  

Year 7 Spring Term  

Year 7 Summer Term 

Year 8 

Topic title:  

Biology – Ecology 

The unit begins by revising food chains, webs and bioaccumulation. Students will then explore factors affecting populations of organisms, impacts of changing populations and look at the required practical to estimate daisy population. Students will learn about classification of living organisms and then how they are adapted to survive in their environment, leading onto natural selection and extinction. The final part of the topic will introduce photosynthesis and leaf adaptations. 

Chemistry - Periodic Table 

This unit begins with what an element, compound and mixture are. Work is then done linking elements to the periodic table and their significance. Following this, compounds are studied in more detail including naming them and how to write a formula. This links to the next area of conservation of mass and balancing symbol equations. The development of the atomic structure is explored, and why scientists make changes to models. Group 1 and 7 and their main properties are then looked at in further detail including their reactivity and general uses. 

Physics - Electricity and Magnetism 

This topic will start off with looking at the concept of static electricity and the idea of charge. This then links into conductors and insulators and the uses of both. Lessons will be spent on current and potential difference in a series and parallel circuit, and how these are involved in resistance. The last part of this topic will look at magnets, building up to electromagnets and then motors. 

Topic title:  

Biology - Digestion and Nutrition  

This unit builds on the work done in year 7 on organ systems and diffusion. It begins by establishing the components of food and the use of each within the body. Students will look at what is meant by a balanced diet and the consequences when nutritional and calorie intake is inadequate or excessive. Students will carry out practicals to test foods for the main components, and then move on to look at the organs of the digestive system and the role each plays in digestion. The role of enzymes is introduced as part of this, as well as the role of gut bacteria. 

Chemistry - Materials and the Earth 

The unit begins by looking at the structure of the Earth and some basic plate tectonics to highlight the changing nature of the surface and how this can lead to earthquakes and volcanoes. The formation of the three different types of rock and their physical properties is then covered, as well as fossil formation. The unit then moves on to the atmosphere, how it has changed over the Earth’s history and more recently, and the human impact on that. Finally, the unit covers the properties of some of the materials made from earth’s resources and recycling.   

Topic title:  

Physics - Light and Space 

Students should know by the end of the topic that light travels in straight lines, is reflected and enters the eye in order to see. The unit begins by looking at light as a wave that transfers energy, and what happens when it meets different surfaces. The unit then moves to reflection and refraction in more detail, and this offers the opportunity to look at reproducibility in data and accuracy of measurements. Colours of the spectrum are studied as well as how colour is seen and how different coloured light can be produced. The final section deals with the Earth in space, the cause of seasons and the Earth’s place in the universe.  

Year 9 preparation 

This unit will give the opportunity for students to develop their practical and working scientifically skills by beginning to look at content taught year 9. 

Knowledge Organiser Link 

Year 8 Autumn Term  

Year 8 Spring Term  

Year 8 Summer Term 

Year 9 

Topic title:  

Biology: Cell Biology  

In this topic students explore how structural differences between types of cells enables them to perform specific functions within the organism. They will learn how microscopes can be used to view animal and plant cells. Students will study mitosis and stem cells, touching on stem cell technology.  

Biology: Organisation 

Students will learn about the human digestive system and how it provides the body with nutrients. They will also study the respiratory system, linking this with the circulatory system and the function of blood. Finally, students will learn how a plant transports substances, allowing it to grow effectively. 

Chemistry: Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table 

The importance and historical development of the periodic table and models of atomic structure will be taught; including how it can be used to understand physical and chemical properties of chemical elements.  Students will learn about groups 1, 7 and 0 and how the atomic structure links to the elements’ reactivity.  

Chemistry: Bonding, structure and the Properties of Matter 

Students will learn how atoms interact through the three types of bonding; ionic, covalent and metallic bonding. They will develop their understanding of these bonds to explain properties of materials such as their ability to conduct electricity, whether they are soft, or to predict their melting points. 

Physics: Energy and Transfer

This topic explains the energy stores and transfers in different every day examples of systems. It also became a key tool for understanding chemical reactions and biological systems. Limits to the use of fossil fuels and global warming are critical problems for this century. Physicists and engineers are working hard to identify ways to reduce our energy usage.    

Topic title:  

Physics: Electricity 

Students will be able to understand the key concepts of charge, current, potential difference and resistance in different circuits. Students will be taught about mains electricity and how this is generated and provided to consumers safely. 

Biology: Infection and response  

Students will learn examples of each pathogen and how they cause us to feel ill. This section will explore how we can avoid diseases by reducing contact with them, as well as how the body uses barriers against pathogens. Students will study the function of white blood cells, and learn how vaccines have reduced the spread of disease. They will then learn how antibiotics and pain killers differ, and the stages new drugs must pass in order to be prescribed. 

Biology: Bioenergetics 

In the bioenergetics topic we will explore how plants harness the Sun’s energy in photosynthesis in order to make food. We will look at how both animals and plants carry out aerobic respiration which provides energy for organisms to function. Knowledge will be developed on anaerobic respiration, comparing the products in animals and plants.  

Chemistry: Quantitative Chemistry 

Students will perform simple calculations using their periodic table. They will learn how to calculate the relative mass of a molecule based on the atoms that make it up. They will also look at concentration, and how we can prepare solutions of varying concentrations and volumes.  

Topic title:  

Chemistry: Chemical Changes 

Students will learn about different chemical changes during various chemical reactions. Students will learn to identify oxidation, reduction, neutralisation, displacement and thermal decomposition reactions. Students will be able to explain how reduction and electrolysis can be used to extract metals from their compounds. 

Chemistry: Energy changes 

Students will study endothermic and exothermic reactions, looking at how temperature changes indicate energy changes in reactions. 

Physics: The Particle Model 

Students will use the particle model to learn about solids, liquids and gases. They will explore the concept of density and look at how this can be calculated for a regular and irregular shaped object. The idea of internal energy, latent heat and specific heat capacity will be covered in lessons.    

Physics: Atomic Structure 

Students will develop their understanding of atomic structure to allow them to understand nuclear radiation, the properties and hazards of radiation, as well as its uses.  

Knowledge Organiser Link 

Year 9 Autumn Term  

Year 9 Spring Term  

Year 9 Summer Term 

Autumn 

Spring 

Summer 

Year 10  

Topic title:  

Physics: Forces 

Students will explore the different forces and how they interact, causing work to be done and energy to be transferred. The difference between speed and velocity is analysed in graphs and students will interpret these and use equations to do calculations. Students will learn how reaction time and other factors affect the overall stopping distance of a vehicle.  

Physics: Waves 

Students will learn how waves carry energy from one place to another and can also carry information, and explore the uses of these waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. Students will be able to explain how wave speed can be calculated using different methods.  

Physics: Magnetism and Electromagnetism 

Students will learn about magnetic force and how an electromagnet is made. The uses of electromagnets is explored, and how the motor effect can be utilised to make electric motors. 

Chemistry: The rate and extent of chemical change 

Students will explore the reactivity of chemicals and how the rate at which they react can be measured as well as manipulated. Reversible reactions will be studied, looking at how conditions can be altered to affect the yield in industry.  

Chemistry: Organic Chemistry 

Students will explore the chemistry of carbon compounds. This includes fossil fuels, particularly crude oil and how it is made more useful through separation and processing.  

Chemistry: Chemical Analysis 

Students will look at the process of chromatography to separate soluble substances in detail. They will also learn the tests needed to identify gases.  

Chemistry: Chemistry of the Atmosphere 

Students will learn how the atmosphere has changed over time from when the Earth first formed to current day. They will look at the problems faced in our current society with pollutants, and the effects of greenhouse gases and global warming.  

Topic title:  

Chemistry: Using Resources  

Students will learn how industries use the Earth’s natural resources to manufacture useful products. They will consider sustainability, and learn about how life cycle assessments consider environmental impact at all stages of a product’s life. Students will also learn how potable water is obtained, and how we treat sewage from homes, farms and factories. Finally, they will learn some alternative methods of extracting copper due to the decrease in high grades ores, and the importance of recycling products.  

Biology: Homeostasis and Response 

In this topic, students will learn how hormones and nerves send signals around the body to monitor and control systems. They will learn how hormones regulate the blood glucose level and what happens if this process goes wrong. They will also learn about the hormones involved in the menstrual cycle, and how these can be artificially manipulated in contraception and fertility treatments. They will learn how nerves send signals to effectors, allowing us to move and react to the environment around us, as well as how reflexes differ to coordinated responses. 

Biology: Inheritance, Variation and Evolution 

In this topic, we will discover how sex cells are produced through meiosis, and how these combine in fertilisation. Students will discover the basics of inheritance through the study of genes, focusing on those characteristics controlled by a single gene. They will study some examples of dominant and recessive inherited disorders, and learn how to predict the chance of offspring inheriting these conditions. The topic will go on to discuss evolution by natural selection, how humans have interfered in this process with selective breeding, and how technology has developed to allow us to carry out genetic engineering. It will finsih looking at how classification groups organisms, and the changes that occurred to allow the three domains of life to be added to the existing Linnean classification system 

Biology: review 

In this topic, we will review the biology content first learned in year 9, and build on this to develop understanding. We will newly look at how therapeutic cloning can be used for stem cell therapy, factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis in plants, and the inverse square law.  

Topic title:  

Chemistry: review 

In this topic, we will review the chemistry content first learned in year 9, and build on this to develop understanding. We will newly look at half equations using ions and develop chemical calculations to include moles and calculating reacting masses. Oxidation and reduction will be explored in terms of electron transfer, and the difference between strong and concentrated will be learned. Finally, students will develop their understanding of energy changes to include bond energy calculations. 

Physics: review 

In this topic, we will review the physics content first learned in year 9, and build on this to develop understanding. We will newly look at more complex calculations involving more than one equation, weaving these throughout the content. 

Biology: Ecology  

In this topic, students will learn how biotic and abiotic factors interact, explore food chains in more detail, and look at interdependence in an ecosystem. They will go on to investigate how populations can be estimated as well as how trends in factors can affect distribution of organisms, for example how light intensity affects plant growth. Adaptation of organisms will be studied, as well as ways to maintain biodiversity. Finally, we will revisit the carbon cycle from a biology perspective, and look at the impacts of deforestation and land use.