Science

All three subjects are available to all students. The courses follow on from the science courses taken in years 7 to 9. An interest in the subject, a willingness to work hard, the ability explain your understanding in basic English, and a confidence in basic arithmetic are as important at this level as a particular aptitude for science.

IGCSE Biology

Topics studied include:

Cells as the units from which all living things are made.

Humans as organisms and the study of how the body works.

Genetics: how our genes code for everything that makes us human.

Plants as living organisms.

Ecology and the environment: creating an awareness of the importance of protecting the world around us.

IGCSE Chemistry

Topics studied include:

What atoms are made of and how a small number of types of atom can join together to make millions of different substances. How can we use patterns to simplify the huge amount of information available?

How to control the speed at which reactions take place.

The connections between chemical changes and energy and electricity.

The ability of carbon to form a huge variety of substances, both natural and synthetic.

What chemicals are in the air, water and rocks around us.

How we can test substances to analyse what elements are present.

Physics

Topics studied include:

The different types of motion and the forces that cause them.

Different types of energy, including nuclear, and alternative sources like wind and solar power.

Properties of waves including light and sound.

How we make and use electricity.

Simple electronics.

Radioactivity, its uses and dangers