Parents in Partnership

Science Department

Key points

• Course structure

• Course routes

• Controlled assessment

• Revision guides and text books

• Supporting your daughter

Course

• OCR Gateway B –Biology, Chemistry, Physics

• Will achieve a GCSE in each of the three sciences

• Each separate GCSE consists of 6 teaching modules assessed by 2 exam units and 1 piece

of controlled assessment

Course routes • Year 10

• 3 teachers- chemistry/ biology/ physics

• 9 hours of science, split evenly, a fortnight

• Will be studying 3 separate modules across the year with each teacher

• Year 9 – B1, B2, C1, C2, P1, P2

• Year 10 – B3, B4, C3, C4, P3, P4

• Year 11 – B5, B6, C5, C6, P5, P6

• This year the controlled assessments will be completed (autumn 2nd half - biology, spring 1st half chemistry, spring 2nd half- physics)

Course routes

• Year 11

• Will study the remaining 2 modules; 5 & 6

(the latter 2 being the most challenging)

• In 2017 summer each GCSE will be examined via 2 exams due to the linear nature of the course:

Each module…..

• Consists of 8 sections, a-h:

• B1 a-d mid unit assessment

• B1 a-h end of unit assessment

• C1 a-d mid unit assessment

• C1 a-h end of unit assessment

• P1 a-d mid unit assessment

• P1 a-h end of unit assessment

B1: Understanding ourselves

• B1a: Fitness and health

• B1b: Human health & diet

• B1c: Staying healthy

• B1d: The nervous system

• B1e: Drugs and you

• B1f: Staying in balance

• B1g: Controlling growth

• B1h: Variation & inheritance

C1: Carbon Chemistry

•C1a: Making crude oil useful

•C1b: Using carbon fuels

•C1c: Clean air

•C1d: Making polymers

•C1e: Designer Polymers

•C1f: Cooking & food additives

•C1g: Smells

•C1h: Paints & pigments

P1 - Energy in the Home

P1a Heating Houses

P1b Keeping homes warm

P1c A spectrum of waves

P1d Light & lasers

P1e Cooking & communicating using waves

P1f Data transmission

P1g Wireless signals

P1fh Stable earth

Controlled assessment

• 25% of GCSE

• Each separate science will have its own controlled assessment

• Done in class, in exam conditions

Part 1 – research & collecting secondary data

Part 2 – planning & collecting primary data

Part 3 – Analysis & evaluation

Same format for physics and biology

Each unit is a headed section in the exam , so it is clear For your daughter

Revision Resources

•Collins GCSE Essentials- OCR Gateway

Revision Resources

• Revision websites

– GCSE bitesize (OCR gateway specific)

– Skoool.co.uk

– S-cool.co.uk

– CGP books online

– Doc Brown’s KS4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/

The specifications can be found at

http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/by-subject/science/ OCR gateway from 2012

Supporting your daughter

• Keeping absences to a minimum, and ensure she catches up on any missed work.

• Ensuring homework is being completed.

• Ensuring daughter has a quiet and organised workspace at home.

• Ensuring your daughter is completing adequate revision for her mid and end of unit tests.

• Ensuring your daughter asks for help when needed.

• Construct a revision timetable

– This should be realistic

– Include breaks

– Include treats

– Don’t just put ‘science’ – be specific with topics/units

• Use a variety of revision techniques

– Make notes of the key points

– Spider diagrams

– Post- it notes

– Get someone to test you

– Use highlighters

– Use note-cards

– Practice past paper questions