KS3 & KS4 science curriculum

This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Transport and exchange surfaces in humans, where they explored how substances like oxygen and nutrients are transported and exchanged in the body. It deepens their understanding by examining the nervous system’s role in controlling and coordinating body functions, including reflex actions and responses to stimuli. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Coordination and control: hormones and the human endocrine system, where they will explore hormonal regulation, further enhancing their understanding of the body’s control systems.

1. The human nervous system
2. Neurones and synapses
3. Human reaction time: practical
4. The structure and function of a reflex arc
5. The human eye
6. Common defects of the human eye
7. The human brain
8. Damage and disease in the human brain, including fMRI and electrical stimulation

• [Y1] The basic parts of the human body and which part of the body is associated with each sense.
• Humans are multicellular organisms – they are made up of millions of living cells.
• Specialised cells in animals have shapes, sizes and structures that are adapted for the jobs the cells do.