Edexcel GCSE Science

GCSE Science 2011: Getting Started

11NSM02

The purpose of this event is to:• Receive an overview of the structure and

content of the qualification• Look at the changes to external assessment

and guidance to help your students to reach their full potential

• Look at the requirements for controlled assessment, how to effectively prepare students and manage internal moderation.

• Explore delivery strategies, curriculum planning and implications of the changes

• Review the support, schemes of work and resources available from Edexcel

• Look at links to BTEC Applied Science

Our Assessment model

Biology 1

25%Chemistry 1

25%Physics 1

25%CAU

25%

Biology 2

25%Chemistry 2

25%Physics 2

25%CAU

25%

Biology 3

25%Chemistry 3

25%Physics 3

25%

CAU

25%CAU

25%CAU

25%

No unit can be less than 20%

One re-sit rule

Controlled Assessment – 1 year shelf

life

At least 40% must be

assessed at the final

sitting before certification

Some general rules for all awarding bodies

What does it mean?

40% rule

40% of assessment must be taken in the final series. For Edexcel this is November, March or June. (Note – Controlled assessment can not be submitted in March)

Any combination of units are allowed. 2 written exams or 1 written exam plus controlled assessment.

Results which were part of the 40% must count, this includes re-sits.

The 40% requirement must be met again if a student wishes to re-certificate.

Units from science and additional cannot be mixed to make up a 40%. It must be 40% of each qualification line.

What does it mean?

Re-sit rule

Only one re-sit is allowed per written unit. This includes attempts at foundation and higher tier papers.

If a re-sit is part of the 40% terminal rule it must count.

If a student is re-certificating, 40% must be done again.

If re-certification takes place in the November window and this is to include the controlled assessment. The task submitted cannot be the same as the task submitted in June. It must be new marks even though the tasks are live for the calendar year.

Features of the Specification

Defining the content

A very clear and defined specification allowing good scientific grounding in science for all with practical work at its heart

Clear spec points starting with a command word so you know where to place the emphasis

Logical learning progression and focus on providing a grounding in the fundamentals

Engaging content and a straightforward approach to practical work .

2011 Specification Unit B12.6 Explain how blood glucose levels are regulated by insulin and excess blood glucose is converted to glycogen in the liver

2.7 Explain how blood glucose levels are regulated by glucagon and glycogen is converted to glucose

2.8 Recall that Type 1 diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin

2.9 Explain how Type 1 diabetes can be controlled, including the roles of diet and injection of insulin usually into the subcutaneous fat

2.10 Explain how, in Type 1 diabetes, the level of physical activity and diet affect the amount of insulin required

2.11 Recall that Type 2 diabetes is caused by a person becoming resistant to insulin

2.12 Explain how Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by diet and physical activity

2.13 Evaluate the correlation between obesity (including calculations of BMI) and Type 2 diabetes

2.14 Explain how plant growth substances (hormones) bring about:

A positive phototropism in shoots

b positive gravitropism (geotropism) in roots

2.15 Explain how auxins bring about shoot curvature using cell elongation

2.16 Investigate tropic responses

Specification details

Bold statements indicate higher tier only

Suggested Practical

Clear command words

Activity 1

You are provided with the specifications for each of the five qualifications.

Select one and analyse how:• the sequence of the detailed Unit content

could be used to aid teaching• practicals are embedded within the

content• ‘How Science Works’ is embedded within

the content• Mathematical Skills are embedded within

the content.

External Assessment

Trialled to be accessible to all with appropriate stretch for your most able

Accessible external assessment

Ramping within each question as well as through the paper

3 Certification windows and 2 coursework moderation windows.

Accessibility experts checking each question

Mocks Analysis, allowing you the chance to have students data before they have even sat an exam.

Clear use of command words with in questions

ResultsPlus, allowing you the tools to monitor whether your students are more suited to higher or foundation tier papers

Activity 2

You are provided with the sample external assessments for B1, C1 and P1.

Each contains papers for both Foundation and Higher tiers, with mark schemes:

• Analyse how the two tiers compare to each other

• Consider how you can best prepare your students so that they reach their full potential

Activity 3

You are provided with some sample student responses for the 6 mark questions and the mark scheme

• Look at the work and use the mark scheme to decide how many marks should be awarded

Internal Assessment

Supporting Science , Supporting You

Manageable controlled assessment

One year shelf life – January to December. Always released one year early.

One controlled assessment task per unit

Part APlanning (1 lesson,

limited control)

Part BObservations

(1 lesson, limited control)

Part CConclusion

(1 lesson, high control)

Mix and match approach submitting students best part a,b & c

Based on well tested suggested practicals or spec statements

What do the controls mean?

Limited control – Students may work collaboratively, e.g. discussing ideas.However they must write up their plans individually and record

theirown data/evidence.Students should receive a copy of the student checklist &

assessmentcriteria

High control – Individually by the student, under the supervision of the teacher. This can take place over several lessons but work must be

collected inand then handed back.

Note – there are no time limits for the controlled assessment parts, controls only relate to the way in which they are delivered.

Activity 4

You are provided with examples of student work from

Controlled assessments.

• Assess the work using the assessment guidance provided and decide what mark should be awarded for each of the three sections of the work.

Managing the transition – Dates

GCSE Science

GCSE Additional

Science

GCSE 360 spec. last award

June 2012 June 2012

GCSE 360 spec. last resit

March 2013 March 2013

New spec. first teaching

September 2011

September 2012

First examNovember

2011June 2012

New spec. first award

June 2012 June 2013

Separate Sciences

June 2012

March 2013

September 2012

June 2013

June 2013

Our support promise

Free seminars: Link to Training & launch events

• ‘Getting started with GCSE Science 2011’

• Launch events

Free tools and resourcesLink to Support Plus

• Free interactive course planner

• Interactive scheme of work builder

• Free lesson plans and worksheets

• Extra sample assessment materials

• Free access to , our unrivalled online results analysis service

Personal Support:

Link to Advisor

• From our subject advisor Stephen and the team

Detailed analysis Performance on each question of each exam paper with comparison to national data

With skills mapsTo help contextualise performance against curricular areas

Comparison• by centre type• with last year• by gender• by class• by spec• by subject

Grade performance• Whole centre• Department• Class• Student

Exam docsExam papers, mark schemes and examiner reports just a click away

www.edexcel.com/resultsplus

Effective, student-centred learning, anytime, anywhere

… available soon Link to web

student books – Science, Additional and Extension

Edexcel’s own published resourcesDeveloped alongside the specification by the authoring team of Exploring Science!

3xActiveTeach and BBCActive Clips Packs3xTeacher and Technician Planning Packs 3xActivity Packs 3xTeacher Books 3xActiveLearn online homework and revision1x

Edexcel will also endorse resources from other publishers which meet the requirements of the specification. You will find details of other endorsed resources on our website as they become available.

Activity 5

You are provided with a course planner and some outline schemes of work.

• use the course planner and plan how you will put the course together for use in your own centre.

BTEC & GCSE links

Flexible KS4 Sciencelearning pathways

There’s a great deal of shared content between BTEC Applied Science and our new GCSE Science 2011 suite, as both are based on the KS4 programme of study.

Do you deliver both GCSE & BTEC Applied Science?

Do you find it difficult to decide which pathways your students are taking at the start of their KS4 studies?

Level 2 titlesBTEC Level 2 Diploma60 credits (360 GLH) =4 GCSEs A*-C

=2 GCSEs A*-C

=1 GCSEs A*-C

BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate 30 credits (180 GLH)

BTEC Level 2 Certificate 15 credits (90 GLH) = units 1, 2 & 3

= units 1, 2 & 3 plus 15 credits of optional units

= units 1, 2 & 3 plus 45 credits of optional units

We are now offering:

A free set of Edexcel approved

tasks, which can be used to form

evidence for BTEC assignments, and

matched to the new Edexcel GCSE specifications

Planning and mapping of

common content for teaching units

of BTEC before units of GCSE –

checked by Edexcel assessors to ensure you cover content appropriately for

both learning styles

Teaching Approaches:

You can see if your students work better with the BTEC or GCSE approach and delay the decision on moving students completely to BTEC of GCSE – knowing that Edexcel have

approved the approach for both GCSE and BTEC

You can cover the teaching and learning in the time available even if you are allowing students to try both approaches early

on in your Key Stage 4 teaching

Introduce some of the motivational aspects of the BTEC approach to all your students

Sheet

GCSE spec ref.

Activitysheet covers

Remaining to be covered to fulfil the criteria

Additional guidance

1. Constructing a key to identify trees found in Britain

Biology 1.9

Unit 3 P2 No further work if both keys are completed

NB BTEC L2 requires study of a wider variety of living organisms; identification keys; the need to organise……

2. The Peppered Moth

1.111.12

Unit 3 P3• Adaptatio

ns of one organism

Unit 3 M1

Unit 3 P3• Adaptations of

one further organism

• Interdependence

• Unit 3 M1: no further work

Interdependence can be picked in the spring term. M2 is not covered until the spring term in GCSE unit B1 content.

Teaching approaches: Starting with BTEC and moving to GCSE

• Allows you the opportunity to introduce some of the motivational aspects of BTEC Applied science.

• Shows you which content still needs to be taught.

If you have started with BTEC and are moving students to GCSE, our mapping documents these will show you what you have already taught.

BTEC/GCSE administration solution

Usually, you have to sign up students for BTEC by November to avoid late fees.

If you sign up later, it can be hard for us to know what level of support you need and make you aware of the kind of support available – especially if you are running GCSE and BTEC together in one curriculum

This can be a problem if you don’t know for sure at the start of Key Stage 4 if a student will suit vocational or academic routes

How does it work?

• Fill in details about your cohort – the number likely to do BTEC Applied Science, Edexcel GCSE Sciences and undecided.

• Register candidates you are sure are right for BTEC by the usual deadline.

• Enter candidates for GCSE 2011 units as normal. Register them for BTEC at any time during the academic year and no late fees will be payable.

Go to: www.edexcel.com/science

Further support

Email Ask the Expert:

gcsescience@edexcelexperts.co.uk

Use the Forum:

Community.edexcel.com

Website:

www.edexcel.com

Contact our Science Advisor Stephen :

0844 576 0037ScienceSubjectAdvisor@edexcelexperts.co.uk

Being an examiner or moderator

Questions?

Thank you