11 Plus Exams Forum

I've been looking through KS3 science curriculum and am wondering why it is taught in such a complex way. Don't get me wrong, I don't find it complex but I think there are easier methods rather than flitting from one topic to the next. Atoms is a prime example. They touch on it briefly and then a few months on they say that Bromine is often written as Br2 without any explanation as to why. Why don't they teach atoms, followed by atomic structure, followed by the Bohr diagram, cations, anions (this would also explain the change of IDE in non-metals), bonding etc so that when Bromine is written as Br2 it's obvious why? None of these topics are complex. The same seems to happen in biology with the cell being described briefly but not in detail. Anyway I plan to ignore the curriculum and teach how I see fit unless a kind member can explain to me why I should follow it exactly.

I don't know about the curriculum - I have never looked at it.
DS has done some science A levels and I am quite impressed by his and his sister's understanding about science in general - far better than mine at that age.

Seems something must be working somewhere.

Why don't you ask the teachers at hos school about the curriculum? presumably they have more experience...

I would agree that it is bitty in ks3. It does seem to pull together later. Quite possibly because the curriculum leads to general science GCSEs rather than separate subjects.

Schools do have the freedom to rewrite the order in KS3 as long as they cover the NC. The vast majority of GS are preparing for three separate subjects at GCSE so do teach it as Biol, Chem and Physics from Year 8 or 9.

I'm not sure which document you are looking at WFG so can't comment further.

I've been looking at a mixture of syllabi including common entrance andit all seems to be the same. Even scholarship papers at 13+ don't touch on the stuff I mentioned above.

WFG - you need a school scheme of work not the syllabus. Try google

Thanks G55. I don't even know what a scheme of work is - doesn't bode well for Ecole Chez Moi!

A scheme of work is a document that each department of a school has to tell teachers what to teach! In my experience, some are very detailed but some just say the book to use.

Have a look in a good bookshop for education textbooks and maybe find which one the schools you like use?

The books on the galore park website would probably be most useful; they are categorised by subject and are designed for ce.

Are you home-educating, WFG ?