Physics
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Below you will find information on the Physics Curriculum at Preston School. The five year learning journey for Science is available in all student books, in the Science Department, and to view here.
Year 7
In Year 7, students study six hours of Science consisting of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and as such, undertake XX Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - Forces
Overview: This topic introduces you to resultant forces on an object when it is stationary and moving. You will also look at the effect on changing an objects form including stretching and compression. You will look at the changes and how they vary based on the amount of force applied and the difference between mass and weight. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information sheet based around friction and how this stops us from slipping when moving. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the particles study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Energy
Overview: This topic introduces you to the transfer of energy between stores and describe how some of the energy has dissipated during the transfer. You will look at the models that can be used to illustrate energy transfers and explain the energy transfer in real life examples. You will then put into practice the calculations for dissipated and useful energy from which you will be able to compare percentages of energy wasted in renewable energy sources. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on energy stores and pathways. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the particles study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Waves
Overview: This topic explores how sound is transmitted as a wave and how it interacts with the surroundings. You will discover how sound is produced, how it travels, how it can be altered and how it can be seen. You will consider the different ways in which sound is used for communication and what makes the difference between sound and noise. Next, you will discover the structure of the ear and how different parts of the ear can be damaged by sound. You will consider the movement of sound through different medium and use this knowledge to investigate different types of soundproofing. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information sheet based around writing a letter to the Star Wars producer to explain sounds in space. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Waves study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Year 8
In Year 8, students study seven hours of Science consisting of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and as such, undertake XX Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - Motion and Pressure
Overview: This topic introduces you to the idea that if the overall resultant force of an object is not zero its motion could change, it could slow down, speed up or change direction. You will also look at the idea of how the pressure of a fluid acts in all direction, how it changes with depth and the concept of upthrust. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information sheet based around pressure in air and fluids. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Motion and Pressure study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Light
Overview: This topic introduces you to light and the waves of light, you will look at ray boxes with the reflection, refraction and absorption of light. You will look at the angle of incidence and that it is equal to the angle of reflection and you will be able to identify that the ray model can be used to describe the formation of an image in a mirror and how the object can appear differently. Finally, you will look at the refraction of light through lenses and prisms. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information leaflet for non-scientists about how mirrors work, linking to reflection and refraction. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Cells study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Energy Resources
Overview: This topic introduces you to the idea that we pay for our electricity usage based on the amount of energy we use. You will look at the resources that are used to generate electricity, including their advantages and disadvantages. You will also look at how to calculate the cost of home energy usage and compare the amount of energy transferred in different foods and activities. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an information sheet based around the transfer of energy for a new island you wish to inhabit. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Cells study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - Electricity
Overview: This topic introduces you to voltage including energy transfer from a battery. You will look at how circuits are laid out in series and parallel. You will look at how voltage is shared between components in a series circuit and in parallel the voltage is the same in each loop. Finally, you will look at resistance and the movement of electrons in a circuit. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on an extended writing piece analysing the structure of a torch. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Cells study area. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Year 9
In Year 9, students study seven hours of Science consisting of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and as such, undertake XX Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 -
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
GCSE Science
Below you will find information on the Science curriculum at Preston School. The five year learning journey for Science is available in all student books, in the Science Department, and to view here.
In the video below, Mr Horsington, our History teacher provides an overview of the course.
Year 10
During this year you will start your History GCSE work with the four chosen units: Conflict and Tension: The First World War, 1894 - 1918; Elizabethan England, c1568 - 1603; Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to the present day; and America, 1920 – 73: Opportunity and Inequality.
Study Cycle 1 - The Causes of the First World War
Overview: During this topic, you will start the study of the Conflict and Tension unit of work by examining the main reasons for a world war beginning. You will explore relationships between Europe’s main powers leading into the Twentieth Century, eventually resulting in Europe to be split into two and causing great tension. You will determine both short and long-term causes of the Great War. This links to knowledge that you will have studied in Year 9. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the Moroccan Crisis. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an examination as to who was to blame for World War One. You will receive a final Whole Class Feedback on the view of German preparations for World War one. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge quiz on Conflict and Tension Part One. You will answer a variety of knowledge based questions. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet is available to view here.
Study Cycle 2 - Elizabeth’s Court and Parliament
Overview: This Study Cycle starts with investigating the origins of Elizabeth and her complex Tudor family, furthering the study you conducted in Year 7 and 8. You will understand how Elizabeth came to power and then start to unpick how she was able to consolidate her power. You will study the religious complications during her reign and the impact these had domestically during her reign. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on Privy Council- extended writing, and Elizabeth and marriage- extending writing. You will undertake a summative assessment for this Study Cycle which consists of questions on Elizabeth’s Government, the Northern Rebellion and Elizabeth’s decision to stay unmarried. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - The Middle Ages: Medicine Stands Still
Overview: During the third Study Cycle of the year, you will go back in time and investigate the Medieval period and its approach to medicine. You will learn the main medical pioneers of the Medieval time and unpick why their ideas were so prominent throughout. You will understand the importance of religion and its impact on the progression within the medical world. A key section of this will be your study of the Black Death, which you examined in Year 7. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the importance of Hippocrates and Galen. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an examination of a contemporary source about the impact of Christianity on medicine. You will receive a final Whole Class Feedback on an examination on the impact monasteries had on public health. You will complete one project-based assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a project where you compare the impact of the Black Death of 1348 and the Great Plague of 1665. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - The Renaissance: The Beginnings of Change
Overview: In this Study Cycle, you will continue building on the knowledge acquired previously. This cycle will show you how the Renaissance period very slowly starts to encourage development in medicine. You will learn of the ‘Renaissance Heroes’ and how some parts of society started to move away from traditional ideas. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the significance of a key individual. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the importance of developments to surgery in helping the advancement of medicine. You will undertake a summative assessment for this Study Cycle which consists of questions on the smallpox vaccine, surgery during the Renaissance and a comparison of the Black Death and The Great Plague. This will provide you with an assessment grade. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - Americans’ Experiences of the Depression and New Deal
Overview: For this Study Cycle you will continue the American Unit. In a stark contrast to previous learning with America, you will investigate the Wall Street Crash and its contribution to a global depression. You will determine the impact of the Great Depression throughout the 1930s, politically, socially, and economically. Finally, you discover the importance of the Second World War and the widespread effect of this. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing Roosevelt’s presidential election. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the impact of World War Two on two key groups of society. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge quiz on USA Part Two. You will answer a variety of knowledge-based questions. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 - The First World War: Stalemate
Overview: For the penultimate Study Cycle, you will follow the War to understand why it prolonged into years of conflict. You will follow the course of the war and discover the sheer brutality of trench warfare which saw a ‘War of Attrition’. You will evaluate war tactics and the development of weapons over time that helped shape the war. You will also study conflict on land, sea, and air. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the consequences of the Schlieffen Plan failing. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an examination of the developments which took place during the war. You will undertake a summative assessment during this Study Cycle which will be based on a Paper One exam. This will comprise of the Conflict and Tension, 1894 - 1918 and the America, 1920 – 73 topics. Each topics exam will last for one hour. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 7 - Life in Elizabethan Times
Overview: This Study Cycle allows you to see what life was like in Elizabethan society, starting with the social hierarchy, establishing the different experiences between rich and poor. You will study how the queen dealt with the increasing problem of the poor and judge how effective these actions were. You will finish off the cycle by learning about Elizabeth’s lust for empire and power oversees. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on Elizabethan theatre. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on poverty during the Elizabethan period. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge quiz on Elizabethan England Part Two. You will answer a variety of knowledge-based questions. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Year 11
During this year, you will be studying the final parts of each of the exam units. These include:
Conflict and Tension: Ending the War
Elizabethan England: Troubles at home and abroad
America, 1920 – 1973: Post War America
Health and the people: Modern Medicine
Elizabethan England: Historical Environment – Sheffield Manor Lodge
Study Cycle 1 - Ending the War
Overview: During this topic, you will complete the study of the Conflict and Tension unit of work by examining the reasons for World War One coming to an end on 11th November 1918. You will examine the importance of key factors such as the USA’s entry, Russia’s exit, the changing weapons and tactics whilst fighting on the Western Front, the importance of key individuals and many other reasons for the First World War ending. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on Russia’s withdrawal from World War One. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a comparison of two sources examining the Hundred Days. You will receive a final Whole Class Feedback on the actions of Ferdinand Foch and how they led to the end of the First World War. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the End of World War One study area in the form of a mini exam that will be modelled around the questions you have already answered in this booklet. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Troubles at Home and Abroad
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will examine the pressures placed upon Queen Elizabeth I from within England. This will be primarily based around her issues with religion and the problem of succession, especially with Mary, Queen of Scots in the country. You will also examine the external pressure points placed on Elizabeth I with the main focus being Elizabeth’s relations with Spain and the threat of the Spanish Armada. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: Whole Class Feedback on how convincing an interpretation is about the religious settlement. Whole Class Feedback on the importance of Mary, Queen of Scots arrival in England in 1568. Whole Class Feedback on an account of the failure of the Spanish Armada. You will undertake a summative assessment during this Study Cycle which will be based on a Paper One exam. This will comprise of the Conflict and Tension, 1894 - 1918 and the America, 1920 – 73 topics. Each topics exam will last for one hour. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Post-War America
Overview: During the third Study Cycle of the year, you will learn about how society in the USA changed between 1945 – 1973. This will focus on key areas such as the creation of teenage culture, the second Red Scare, the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of feminism. You will also study the policies of two key presidents: John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on post-war American society. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on campaigners challenging segregation. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge retention assessment on America Unit Three. You will answer a variety of knowledge-based questions examining your knowledge from the unit. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - Modern Medicine: 1900 – The Present Day
Overview: In this Study Cycle, you continue with your study of public health and medical developments. In this final unit, the focus is on examining the changes that have taken place from 1900 to the present day. These include examining the role war has played in developing medical idea, the rise of the pharmaceutical industry and the creation of the NHS. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the significance of the development of penicillin. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an essay focusing on the key factors and the development of surgery and knowledge of the anatomy. You will undertake a summative assessment during this Study Cycle which will be based on a Paper Two exam. This will comprise of the Britain: Health and the people, c1000 – present day and Elizabethan England, c1568 - 1603. The entire exam will last two hours. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - The Historic Environment Study: Sheffield Manor Lodge
Overview: During the fifth Study Cycle of the year, you will look at Sheffield manor Lodge which is the historical environment study for exams in 2023. In your learning of this site, you will explore the key people associated with the location, events that happened at this location and how the location was designed and the function of the building. Within the Elizabethan England, 1568 - 1603 exam at the end of the year, question four will always be about this location. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: Whole Class Feedback writing an account of the importance of Sheffield Manor Lodge. Whole Class Feedback assessing the impact Mary, Queen of Scots had on English politics. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Historic Sit Study study area in the form of a knowledge retrieval assessment. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
