Fairfield High School for Girls

Introduction

GCSE Science has an emphasis on scientific literacy - the knowledge and understanding which students need to engage as informed citizens with science-based issues. There are lots of transferable skills within the Sciences and most universities look favorably upon applicants with science qualifications.

The Science courses are 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

To achieve this, candidates must have a broad understanding of the main scientific concepts that provide a framework for making sense of the world.

At GCSE level, pupils can take combined science or individual qualifications in biology, chemistry and physics. The specialist GCSEs are more in-depth and are seen as a prerequisite to studying science at A-level and beyond.

Candidates also need to be able to reflect on scientific knowledge itself, the practices that have produced it, the kinds of reasoning that are used in developing a scientific argument, and the issues that arise when scientific knowledge is put to practical use.

Our GCSE Science courses are designed to give all students a worthwhile and inspiring experience of Science. The strength of the programme is that it meets the needs, through flexible options, of both those who will go on to be professional scientists and of those who will not.

How will Science help me in my career?

Our world is constantly changing and evolving. There have been good changes, like the web, which has revolutionised the way information is stored and accessed. But there have also been bad changes. We have been making huge demands on the planet’s resources and the environment, and now need to find new solutions for almost everything humans do, from fuel production to waste disposal.

Studying Science will prepare students for a job that will put you in the driving seat; giving you skills and knowledge to improve the world around us, and even the future of the planet.

There are many fascinating and crucial roles that science can prepare you for:

• Designing ecologically friendly energy sources
• Developing new modes of communication
• Helping people to live more sustainably
• Producing safe, environmentally friendly and healthy products, from aeroplanes to chocolate bars
• Working with farmers to improve crop production
• Protecting the environment and combating the effects of climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions and limiting global warming
• Finding alternative methods for supplying clean water
• Discovering new medicines and vaccines for treating killer diseases, techniques for surgery or gene therapy

And… there is still space to explore!

Biology

• Genes
  • What are genes?
  • How do they affect the way that organisms develop?
  • Why do people look like their parents, brothers and sisters?
• Keeping Healthy
  • How do our bodies resist infection?
  • What are vaccines and how do they work?
  • How are new drugs developed and tested?
• Life On Earth
  • How did life on Earth begin and evolve?
  • How did humans evolve?
  • Why do some species become extinct, and does it matter?

Physics

• The Earth in the Universe
  • What do we know about the Earth and space?
  • What is known about stars and galaxies?
  • How do scientists develop explanations of the Earth and space?
• Explaining Motion
  • How can we describe motion?
  • What are forces?
  • How can we describe motion in terms of energy changes?
• Electric Circuits
  • What is an electric current
  • How is mains electricity produced?
  • How much electrical energy do we use at home?

Chemistry

• Materials
  • What different properties do different materials have?
  • Why does it help to know about the molecular structure of materials?
  • Why is crude oil important as a source of new materials such as plastics and fibres?
• Chemical Patterns
  • What are the patterns in the properties of the elements?
  • How do chemists explain the patterns in the properties of the elements?
  • How do chemists explain the properties of compounds of group 1 and group 7 elements?
• Food Matters
  • What is the difference between intensive and organic farming?
  • Why are chemicals deliberately added to food?
  • Why does what we eat affect our health?