Key Stage 4 Science: a preview of
the new qualifications
AQA presenters:
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Agenda
• Updates from Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE)
• Draft assessment models
• How working scientifically will be assessed (including required
practicals)
• Sample of questions
• Preview of the current content of separate and combined sciences
• Teaching and learning resource offer
• Evaluation form
Slide 2
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Ofqual (consultation March 15) and DfE updates
•
minimum assessment time:
• separate sciences (3.5 hours)
• combined science (7 hours).
Assessment Objectives for specifications
AO1
AO2
AO3
40%
40%
20%
Maths weightings
•
Slide 3
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Combined Science
10%
20%
30%
20% overall
(in ratio 1:2:3)
Maths level of demand
• Foundation Tier (KS3)
• Higher Tier (foundation GCSE).
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Assessment objectives
The assessment objectives proposed by Ofqual are broadly similar to those for
the current GCSEs.
AO1
AO2
AO3
•
Slide 4
.
Assessment Objectives
Weighting
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
• scientific ideas
• scientific techniques and procedures.
40% (current 37.5%)
Apply knowledge and understanding of:
• scientific ideas
• scientific enquiry, techniques and procedures.
40% (current 35%)
Analyse information and ideas to:
• interpret and evaluate
• make judgements and draw conclusions
• develop and improve experimental procedures.
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20% (current 27.5%)
Ofqual and DfE updates
•
Tiering:
•
•
Higher target grades 4 to 9 (with allowed 3)
Foundation targets grades 1 to 5.
•
Minimum of 20% common marks.
•
Mixed tier entry is not permitted.
•
Combined GCSE is a double award, therefore students will be awarded
two grades.
•
Combined GCSE double award will use a 17 grading scale 1-1, 2-1, 2-2…
through to 9-9.
Slide 5
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Science for all:
Introduction to the new
Key Stage 4 Science
qualifications
Slide 6
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Entry Level Certificates (ELC) in Science
(single award and double award)
Slide 7
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STEM Technical Award (Level 1/2)
Slide 8
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Combined Science: Coordinated
(double award)
Exams
• There will be six exams: two biology, two
chemistry and two physics papers.
• Each exam is 1 hour and 15 minutes,
70 marks.
• Each paper will cover different subject
content to help students prepare.
• See our specimen question papers from
17 July on aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes
Slide 9
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Combined Science: Big ideas
(double award)
Exams
• There will be four exams: two papers
covering the Life and environmental
sciences topics, and two covering the
Physical sciences topics.
• Each exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes,
100 marks.
• Each paper will cover different subject
content to help students prepare.
• See specimen questions papers from
17 July on aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes.
Slide 10
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Separate sciences – Biology and Chemistry
See specimen questions papers from
17 July on aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes
Slide 11
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Separate sciences continued – Physics
See specimen questions papers from
17 July on aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes
Slide 12
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Assessment of practical work
• No controlled assessment – the ISAs will finish in 2017.
• Specifications will set out the apparatus students should use and
the techniques they should develop while doing practical work.
• To meet these, required practicals will be detailed in the
specification content.
• Each separate science will include at least eight required practicals.
In Combined Science there will be at least 16.
• Written exams will include questions that draw on students’
practical science experience.
• At least 15% of marks for each GCSE will be allocated to these.
Slide 13
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Reporting of practical work
• ‘Exam boards must require centres to provide an annual statement
confirming they have taken reasonable steps to secure that
students complete all the defined practical activities, and have
made contemporaneous records of the work they have done and
the learning derived from it.’ Ofqual 2015.
• Unlike the A-levels, there will be no practical endorsement.
• Details are still to be confirmed by Ofqual.
• ‘Not having done some of the practicals, despite the school’s best
efforts, will not stop a student from entering for the GCSE. It may
affect their grade, because there may be questions in the exams
that they won’t be able to answer if they haven’t covered that
practical.’ Ofqual 2015.
Slide 14
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Draft Biology required practicals
Biology & Combined
Investigate the effect of salt or sugar solutions on plant tissue
Investigate the effect of a factor on the rate of an enzyme controlled reaction
Investigate the effect of a factor on the rate of photosynthesis
Investigate the effect of a factor on human reaction time
Investigate the population size of a common species in a habitat
Biology only
Investigate the effect of antiseptics or antibiotics on bacterial growth
Slide 15
Investigate the effect of light on the growth of newly germinated shoots
Investigate the effect of a factor on the rate of decay
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Draft Chemistry required practicals
Chemistry & Combined
Preparation of a pure, dry sample of a soluble salt from an insoluble oxide or carbonate
Investigation of electrolysis of aqueous solutions using inert electrodes
Investigation of how changes in concentration affect the rates of reactions by methods involving the
production of a gas and a colour change
Investigation of paper chromatography of pure coloured substances and mixtures including
calculation of Rf values using different solvents
Distillation of salt solution to obtain water
Chemistry only
Determination of the reacting volumes of solutions of a strong acid and a strong alkali by titration.
Slide 16
Determination of the concentration of the solutions in mol/dm3 and g/dm3 (HT only
Investigation of the temperature change produced by a series of reactions in solution
Use of chemical tests to identify the ions in a single ionic compound
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Draft Physics required practicals
Investigate the relationship between force and extension for a spring
Physics & Combined
Investigate, using appropriate apparatus, the densities of regular and irregular solid objects and liquids,
making and recording appropriate measurements
Physics only
Investigate the effect of varying the force and /or mass on the acceleration of an object
Investigate ways of reducing the unwanted energy transfers in a system
Slide 17
Investigate, using circuit diagrams to construct circuits, the V-I characteristics of a filament lamp, a diode
and a resistor at constant temperature
Investigate, using circuit diagrams to set up a circuit, the factor(s) that affect the resistance of an
electrical component
Investigate the specific heat capacity of one or more materials. The investigation will involve linking the
decrease of one energy store (or work done) to the increase in temperature and subsequent increase in
thermal energy stored
Investigate the reflection of light by different types of surface and the refraction of light by different
substances
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Draft Combined required practicals
1
Use appropriate apparatus to make and then record the measurements needed
to determine the densities of regular and irregular solid objects and liquids.
2
An investigation to measure the specific heat capacity of one or more materials
to involve linking the decrease of one energy store to the increase in thermal
energy stored
3
Investigate the effect of salt or sugar solutions on plant tissue
4
Investigate the effect of a factor on human reaction time
5
Investigation of paper chromatography of pure coloured substances and
mixtures including calculation of Rf values using different solvents
6
Investigate the effect of a factor on the rate of photosynthesis
7
Investigate the distillation of salt solution to obtain pure water
8
Investigate the population size of a common species in a habitat
Slide 18
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Draft Combined required practicals
9
Investigate the relationship between force and extension for a spring
10
Investigate the effect of varying the force and/or mass on the acceleration
of an object
11
Set up and use a circuit to investigate a factor / the factors that affect the
resistance of an electrical component/s.
12
Investigate the V-I characteristics of a filament lamp, a diode and a resistor
at constant temperature
Preparation of a pure, dry sample of a soluble salt from an insoluble oxide
or carbonate
13
14
Investigation on how changes in concentration affect the rates of reactions
by methods involving the production of a gas and a colour change
15
Investigate the effect of a factor on the rate of an enzyme controlled
reaction
16
Investigation of electrolysis of aqueous solutions using inert electrodes
Slide 19
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Sample of questions - 1
Question
1
2
3
8
9
10
Question
1
3
2.3
Slide 20
Paper
Biology or
Combined
Biology or
Combined
Biology or
Combined
Biology or
Combined
Biology or
Combined
Biology or
Combined
Paper
Chemistry or
Combined
Chemistry or
Combined
Chemistry or
Combined
Tier
F
Demand
low
Type
Multiple choice- Recall
Standard
2.1,2Recall , 2.3 working scientifically, 2.4 & 2.5
calculation ,2.6 applying knowledge
Extended prose
F
Common
F&H
Common
F&H
Common
F&H
H
Tier
Standard
Standard
Standard
& Higher
8.1 recall , 8.2 extended prose working scientifically
, 8.3 working scientifically 8.4 interpreting
Extended prose with level response mark scheme
working scientifically
F
Demand
low
Type
Multiple choice- Recall 1.4 applying knowledge
F
low
working scientifically
Common
F&H
Extended prose with level response mark scheme
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Sample of questions - 2
Question
1
6
4
5
3
5
3.3
Question
3
4
6
Slide 21
Paper
Physics or
Combined
Physics or
Combined
Physics or
Combined
Physics or
Combined
Physics or
Combined
Physics or
Combined
Physics or
Combined
Paper
Combined
Big Ideas
Combined
Big Ideas
Combined
Big Ideas
Tier
Demand
F
low
Type
Short answer & multi choice
Common
F&H
H
standard
Short answer
standard
Calculations
F
low
Short answer & equations
H
standard
Recall & explain
H
High
Recall & equations
H
Standard
Extended response
Tier
Demand
F
low
Type
Recall application data analysis 7 evaluation
F
Low & standard
Recall and application
H
High
Recall & application
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Summary of change document - 1
•
The specification content has been substantially redrafted and reorganised
into coherent topics for teaching, bringing together material that was
previously dispersed over three separate units.
•
Many of the statements are based on those in the current GCSE
specifications (4401,4402 and 4403).
•
Changes have been highlighted or explained as far as possible in the
‘Further information’ column.
•
Biology only indicates content for GCSE Biology only; not required for
GCSE Combined Science.
•
Higher Tier content is indicated in bold in the ‘Further information’ column.
Slide 22
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Summary of change document - 2
Visit: aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes
Slide 23
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New content from AQA
•
Small amount of new content which is ‘used to finish off the story’,
eg in chemistry the carbon footprint and its reduction (9.2d).
•
Some new content includes examples which are used to support clearer
understanding, eg specific examples of reversible reactions.
Slide 24
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Preview of the specifications - 1
Separates and combined content assessed for:
• GCSE Combined Science: Coordinated is a subset of the
separate sciences
• ‘separate sciences only’ is indicated in italics
• Higher Tier papers only is indicated in bold
• practical requirements – yet to be finalised.
(see preview materials)
Slide 25
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Preview of the specifications - 2
Left hand side: content
Separates only
Bold H only
Slide 26
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• right hand column gives
additional information,
further exemplification
and limitations of the
content in the left-hand
column
• signposts suitable
opportunities and
limitations for the
teaching and assessment
of working scientifically
and maths and any DfE
skill-based criteria
Preview of the specifications -3
GCSE Combined Science: Big ideas
•
The first column is the content from the DfE criteria
•
The third column gives additional information ,further exemplification and
limitations of the content in the middle column
•
The third column signposts suitable opportunities for the teaching and
assessment of working scientifically , maths skills and any of the DfE
criteria that are skill based
•
practical requirements are still to be finalised and therefore NOT featured
in this early preview version of the specification content.
They will appear as part of the content column once finalised.
Slide 27
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Preview of the specifications - 4
DfE criteria
content
Slide 28
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additional information
further exemplification
and limitations
Mathematical skills
•
DfE appendix
•
New maths GCSE
•
Standard for Foundation is Key Stage 3 and for Higher is Foundation Tier
GCSE
•
No new skills from current GCSE
•
Students need to learn most equations in GCSE Physics
Slide 29
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Resources 1: aqa.org.uk/subjects/science
Slide 30
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Resources 2: aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes
Slide 31
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Resources 3: Plan, Teach and Assess
Slide 32
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Resources 4: Plan
Slide 33
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Resources 5: Teach
Slide 34
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Resources 6 – currently available
•
command words
•
subject specific vocabulary
•
six week teaching pack-preparing for GCSE
•
summary of changes (separate and combined sciences)
•
schemes of work (separate sciences)
Visit: aqa.org.uk/ks4-changes
Slide 35
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Resources 7 – coming soon
Autumn term:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
‘are you ready for GCSE?’ tests
additional resources for ELC and STEM
schemes of work (combined and foundation)
digital ‘route maps’
Second schemes of work (separate sciences)
practical handbook
marked student responses (exemplars).
2016 resources:
•
•
•
•
•
additional set of specimen question papers and mark schemes
co-teaching document
maths content guidance
‘route maps’ for later schemes of work
textbooks – working with OUP, Hodder and Discovery.
Slide 36
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Thank you
Please fill in the evaluation form to give us your
feedback and so that you are kept up-to-date.
Slide 38
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Support and contact details
GCSE science customer support team
T: 01483 477 756
E: gcsescience@aqa.org.uk
Teacher support manager
Eilish Gorse
CPD manager
Ros Nixon
T: 0161 957 3646
E: teachercpd@aqa.org.uk
Slide 37
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