Combined science

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Non-specific defences of the human body against pathogens

Responses of the human immune system to specific pathogens

Immunity and vaccination

Evaluating the global use of vaccination

Pupils will learn about the use of antibiotics against pathogens, and the development of new drugs and novel treatments for disease.

Pupils learned about non-communicable diseases in humans, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer; and about communicable diseases in humans and plant caused by pathogens including bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists.

This unit explores the body's defences and immune response against pathogens, disease prevention, and vaccines. It covers plant defence responses, and disease detection, and evaluates scientific applications, considering personal, social, economic, and environmental implications.

Defences against pathogens, the human immune system and vaccination

The rate of a chemical reaction: including graphs

Appropriate equipment for measuring the rate of a reaction

Collision theory

Surface area and rate: practical

Surface area and rate: analysis

Concentration and rate: practical using gas collection method

Concentration and rate: practical using end point method

Concentration and rate: analysis

Temperature and rate: practical

Evaluating methods for measuring the rate of reaction

Catalysts and rate

In the Industrial Chemistry unit, pupils will build on their knowledge of reaction rates to learn about the industrial processes involving chemical reactions and the factors that affect them.

In the Energy Changes in Reactions unit, pupils learned about bond breaking, bond making, and reaction profiles.

This unit explores factors influencing reaction rates, including temperature, concentration, surface area, and catalysts. It covers using models and theories to develop hypotheses, planning and conducting experiments safely, selecting appropriate techniques, and presenting and translating data.

Rate of reaction

Aerobic cellular respiration in humans and other organisms, including ATP

Anaerobic cellular respiration in humans and other organisms, including ATP

The effect of different substrates on cellular respiration in yeast: practical

Explaining the effect of different substrates on the rate of cellular respiration

Pupils will learn how substances essential for chemical reactions, and the products of the reactions, are transported into, around and out of plants, and about factors affecting the rate of water uptake by a plant.

Pupils learned about photosynthesis in producers, including a two-stage model of the process and the requirements and products of each stage.

This unit covers cellular respiration as an exothermic reaction in all cells, comparing aerobic and anaerobic processes. It explores cell structures and functions, enhanced by electron microscopy. Emphasis is on conducting experiments, analysing data, and interpreting results.

Aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration

Newton's Third Law

Resultant forces and their effects

Force, mass and acceleration (a = (v – u)/t)

Newton's Second Law

Stopping

In the Gravity in space unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about centripetal forces, orbital motion, stellar evolution, red shift and the big bang.

In the Energy of moving objects unit, pupils learnt how to calculate the amount of energy of objects have because they are moving, stretched or in a gravitational field; and to calculate energy transfers using knowledge of energy conservation and dissipation.

This unit explores forces, interactions, and Newton’s laws, including motion, rotation, and momentum. It covers reaction times, stopping distances, and deceleration dangers. Emphasis is on force diagrams, calculations, experiments, and evaluating methods for accuracy and safety.

Forces make things change

Negative human interactions with ecosystems and impacts on biodiversity

Examples of human interactions with ecosystems, including use of peat

Benefits and challenges of maintaining biodiversity

Climate change and biodiversity: forests and oceans

Pupils learned about biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem, measuring population size, interdependence and competition in ecosystems, how changes in biotic and abiotic factors affect communities, the cycling of carbon and water, and the role of microorganisms in cycling materials through ecosystems.

This unit explores trophic levels, biomass pyramids, and the efficiency of biomass transfers in ecosystems. It examines human impacts on biodiversity, factors affecting food security, and biotechnological solutions. Emphasis is on evaluating environmental changes and ethical considerations.

Maintaining biodiversity and human impacts

Earth's resources and sustainable development

Fractional distillation of crude oil

Cracking fractions of crude oil

Polymer structures

Developing a reactivity series for metals

Extraction of metals by reduction

Life cycle assessments (LCAs)

In the Atmosphere and Changing Climate unit, pupils will build on their understanding of Earth's resources to learn about the evidence for the composition and evolution of the Earth's atmosphere and the impact of human activity on climate change.

In the Earth's Resources unit, pupils learned about the composition and structure of the Earth, and the rock cycle.

This unit covers crude oil, its role as a hydrocarbon source, and separation by fractional distillation. It explores cracking, metal reactivity, and extraction methods, including biological alternatives. Emphasis is on recycling, life-cycle assessments, and evaluating decisions.

Using Earth's resources

Plant roots are adapted to absorb water and mineral ions

Observing root hair cells using a light microscope: practical

Transport systems in plants: xylem and transpiration

Observing the structure and distribution of stomata: practical

Transport systems in plants: phloem and translocation

Observing xylem and phloem using a light microscope: practical

The effect of light on water uptake by a plant: practical

The effects of environmental factors on the rate of water uptake by a plant

The importance of exchange surfaces and transport systems in plants

Pupils will learn about ways in which the human body maintains a constant internal environment in response to internal and external change, including changes in temperature and water balance.

Pupils learned about aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration, including the chemical reactants and products of the processes, and practical ways to measure the rate of cellular respiration in living cells.

This unit covers water and mineral uptake in plants, focusing on root hair cells, xylem, and phloem. It includes transpiration, translocation, and factors affecting water uptake. Emphasis is on rate calculations, graph interpretation, experiments, and data analysis.

Transport and exchange surfaces in plants

Evidence of atomic structure

Unstable nuclei

Nuclear decay

Ionising radiation

Radioactive half-life

Activity and half-life calculations

Uses of radiation

In A-level physics, some pupils will build on this knowledge to learn about probability and half-life equations, nuclear instability, Einstein’s equation E = mc2 that links mass and energy, and controlled nuclear fission.

In the Periodic table unit, in chemistry, pupils learnt about the nuclear model of the atom, the atomic number and mass number, and about isotopes of elements.

This unit covers atomic structure, isotopes, radioactive decay, and half-life. It explores alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, nuclear fission and fusion, and the uses of radiation in medicine, highlighting differences between contamination and irradiation.

Nuclear physics

Hormones: puberty, the menstrual cycle and the menopause

Hormonal and non-hormonal methods of contraception

Pupils will learn about the roles of hormones in controlling plant growth and development, including growth responses to stimuli including light and gravity.

Pupils learned about unspecialised cells in animals and plants, how they become specialised, and potential benefits and issues with using stem cells in medicine.

This unit covers the roles of hormones in reproduction, including the menstrual cycle and the effects of FSH, LH, oestrogen, and progesterone. It explains contraception methods, and fertility treatments, and evaluates their social, economic, and environmental impacts.

Hormones and human reproduction

Properties of Group 0 (RAM 1 d.p.)

Properties of Group 1 (RAM 1 d.p.)

Properties of Group 7 (RAM 1 d.p.)

Reactions of the halogens: including displacement practical

In the Chemical Analysis unit, pupils will build on their knowledge of the periodic table to explore various techniques for analysing substances and interpreting data.

In the Patterns in the Periodic Table unit, pupils learned about the arrangement of elements in the periodic table and the trends in properties of elements.

This unit explores how elements' reactions are related to electron arrangement and atomic number. It covers the properties of Groups 1, 7, and 0 and explains how these depend on outer electrons. It also predicts element reactivity and reactions based on their positions in the periodic table.

Groups of the periodic table

Effect of osmosis and sugar concentration on the mass of plant tissue: practical

Effect of osmosis and sugar concentration on the mass of plant tissue: analysis

Using a microscope to observe effects of osmosis in plant cells: practical

The importance of maintaining constant conditions in the body

Pupils will learn about factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis in plants, including temperature, light intensity and carbon dioxide concentration.

Pupils learned how substances essential for chemical reactions, and the products of the reactions, are transported into, around and out of plants, and about factors affecting the rate of water uptake by a plant.

This unit covers the importance of maintaining a constant internal environment, focusing on body temperature control, osmotic balance, and kidney function. It explains the roles of the skin, kidneys, and ADH, and emphasises data extraction, experiment techniques, and accurate data interpretation.

Coordination and control: maintaining a constant internal environment

Plotting magnetic fields

An electromagnet

Strength of an electromagnet

Applications of electromagnets

An electric motor

In the Magnets and electromagnets unit, pupils learnt about rules for magnets, magnetic fields of bar magnets, and the properties and uses of electromagnets. 

This unit explores magnetism, including permanent and induced magnets, magnetic fields, and Earth's magnetism. It covers current-induced magnetic effects, electric motors, and devices like microphones and loudspeakers, with an emphasis on models, calculations, and practical applications.

Electromagnetism

Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis

The effect of light intensity on rate of photosynthesis in pondweed: plan

The effect of light intensity on rate of photosynthesis in pondweed: practical

The effect of light intensity on rate of photosynthesis in pondweed: evaluation

The effect of light intensity on rate of photosynthesis in algae: plan

The effect of light intensity on rate of photosynthesis in algae: practical

The effect of light intensity on rate of photosynthesis in algae: evaluation

Pupils learned about ways in which the human body maintains a constant internal environment in response to internal and external change, including changes in temperature and water balance.

This unit explores factors affecting photosynthesis rates and focuses on planning and conducting experiments. It includes selecting techniques, accurate measurements, data analysis, and evaluating methods to improve reliability and suggest further investigations.

Combined science

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Combined science

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