KS4 Options Pathways Booklet 2012-2014 - Pershore High School

Starting after Easter 2012, all Year 9 students will begin to study for their Science GCSEs.There will then be two possible routes:ROUTE 1: COMBINED SCIENCE (Dual award)Consisting of GCSE Science and GCSE Additional ScienceGCSE (AQA)Students follow a broad-based Science course as laid down in the National Curriculum.This involves Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There will be nine lessons per fortnight,shared between three subject specialist teachers.The course leads to the award of two GCSEs by the end of Year 11. The first of these,called GCSE Science.GCSE ScienceThis GCSE will be started at the end of Year 9 andthen taught throughout Year 10. It is made up offour teaching units:AssessmentHow Science WorksBiology 1Chemistry 1Physics 1These units will be tested by three written papers in the summer of Year 11. There is also aninvestigative skills assessment which will be completed in lessons and marked by scienceteachers in school. By the end of Year 10 students will have covered all the content for theirfirst GCSE in Science.In Year 11, students will then study towards a second GCSE in Science called AdditionalScience.GCSE Additional ScienceThis course encourages students to explore the role of explaining, theorising, and modellingin Science. It also encourages students to develop a critical approach to scientific evidence.This qualification will be needed if you wish to study Biology, Chemistry, Physics orEnvironmental Science in the Sixth Form.There are four teaching units:How Science WorksBiology 2Chemistry 2Physics 2These units will be tested by three written papers in the summer of Year 11. There is alsoan Investigative Skills Assessment as for GCSE Science.6