Science
Science at Newtownhamilton High School
Science is all around us and is something that we experience every day. At Newtownhamilton High School our aim is to instil an interest in science from an early stage and to provide pupils with knowledge which will be interesting but will also be useful and relatable in everyday life.
Science is taught by Mrs N Graham (ST1) and Miss Baird (M2) who both have a keen interest and passion for all things STEM related.
STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” and is becoming an increasingly vital sector for research and employment. By engaging with STEM related subjects in school, our pupils are contributing towards a global STEM initiative which is not only exciting, but essential for scientific developments.
In school, we follow the Revised NI Curriculum at Key Stage 3 – here pupils will have the opportunity to engage with STEM in the following topics:
Year 8 Topics:
Learning to be a Scientist
Life, Body Systems and Cells
States of Matter
Acids and Alkalis
Solar System
Reproduction
Forces Everywhere
Year 9 Topics:
Food and Digestion;
Elements and Compounds
Respiration
Electricity
Light and the EM Spectrum
Microbes and Disease
Year 10 Topics:
Photosynthesis
Waves and Sounds
Patterns of Reactivity
The Nervous System
Elements and Atomic Structure
Habitat Studies
In all topics, there is a strong emphasis on investigative and practical skills – science is after all a practical subject and pupils at Newtownhamilton High School are able to engage fully with many scientific topics using practical experiments to observe scientific concepts.
At GCSE, pupils can study either CCEA Double Award Science or CCEA Single Award Science. Both programmes provide pupils with extensive scientific knowledge and provide a very good basis for further study within STEM.
GCSE COURSE STRUCTURE:
All pupils will complete one of the following courses from CCEA’s Revision Specification:
CCEA Double Award Science
Year 11:
Biology Unit B1: Cells, Living Processes and Biodiversity (11%)
Chemistry Unit C1: Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions, Quantitative Chemistry and Analysis (11%)
Physics Unit P1: Motion, Force, Moments, Energy, Density, Kinetic Theory, Radioactivity, Nuclear Fission and Fusion (11%)
Each of these modules is assessed through a formal written examination paper.
Year 12:
Biology Unit B2: Body Systems, Genetics, Microorganisms and Health (14%)
Chemistry Unit C2: Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry (14%)
Physics Unit P2: Waves, Light, Electricity, Magnetism, Electromagnetism and Space Physics (14%)
Each of these modules is assessed through a formal written examination paper.
In addition to the 6 module papers, pupils will also complete a 7th Practical Skills Module. This is assessed externally and is worth 25% of the final grade.
Practical Skills Structure:
Booklet A (7.5%) – Pupils complete 3 “Prescribed Practicals” (Biology, Chemistry & Physics) in Year 12 – all “Prescribed Practicals” will be studied as part of the main GCSE Specification.
Booklet B (17.5%) – Pupils complete questions set in a practical context for Biology, Chemistry & Physics)
CCEA Single Award Science
This course comprises 4 units completed over 2 years:
Unit 1: Biology (25%)
Unit 2: Chemistry (25%)
Unit 3: Physics (25%)
Unit 4: Practical Skills (25%)
Typically, Unit 2 Chemistry is completed in Year 11, whilst Unit 1 Biology and Unit 3 Physics are completed in Year 12.
Unit 4 Practical Skills:
Booklet A (7.5%) – Pupils complete 2 “Prescribed Practicals” (Biology, Chemistry or Physics) in Year 12 – all “Prescribed Practicals” will be studied as part of the main GCSE Specification.
Booklet B (17.5%) – Pupils complete questions set in a practical context for Biology, Chemistry & Physics)
CAREER PROSPECTS WITH STEM:
STEM related subjects offer many opportunities for career development. As ever increasing movement, STEM related careers now comprise approximately 20% of all jobs in the UK and overseas.
Information on how STEM could help you in your career, and what jobs you might be able to get with STEM subjects can be found at: