At key stage 4 students will follow either the AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy course or separate science GCSEs; AQA GCSE Biology, AQA GCSE Chemistry and AQA GCSE Physics. Students will be directed to the course that best suits them by the Science Faculty based on their target grades and prior learning.

Science offers students the opportunity to explore major theories about the universe, the planet and everything that lives within it. Through this study, students will learn to appreciate the impact science has on everyday life, along with developing an ability to think critically and apply scientific logic to a range of ideas and scenarios. Science GCSE takes students through the scientific process, looking at how information is obtained, the reliability of sources, the limitations of any conclusions drawn and the way we use this information in society to make decisions that directly impact their lives. Through their time in the Science Faculty, students will be encouraged to consider issues of Science met in everyday life, including health concerns, vaccination and sustainability.

Many students will want to expand their study of science, because they are interested in the subject, and also to provide grounding for possible further study of science, post GCSE.

The types of tasks that are completed are:

• Theoretical and practical work, understanding facts and how they relate to scientific knowledge and then exploring this in a hands-on scenario.   
• Practical work is carried out both independently and through working in a group, and usually involves investigative work.
• Students are required to complete a range of compulsory experiments as part of the course that will be recorded in Lab Books in preparation for examination of their practical scientific ability.

The course is assessed through:

• GCSE Single Sciences: Students have subject – specialist teaching in all three Sciences and take two 1 hour 45 minute exams per Science at the end of the course to demonstrate their understanding of each. This will result in three separate GCSEs. 
• GCSE Combined Science (AQA Trilogy): Students have subject – specialist teaching in all three Sciences and take two 1 hour 15 minute examinations per Science at the end of the course to demonstrate their understanding of each. This will result in two separate GCSE grades.

There are many science-related career options, such as working in the medical field, being a professional scientist, engineer, optician or teacher. Both the Single Science and Combined Science courses provide a pathway to further study at Post 16.

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