Year 8 Science

What students learn this year:

In Year 8 Science, students build on the foundations from Year 7 and complete the KS3 curriculum to prepare them for their GCSE course which begins in Year 9. Students deepen their knowledge and understanding of some of the fundamental aspects of science such as forces and its application to motion, cells in terms of their function collectively in organs and processes that take place in living things and the properties, behaviour and chemical reactions involving matter. The curriculum continues to include investigative work and completion of core practical activities.

Term overview:

Term / Half-term	Main topics / units	Key knowledge & skills
Autumn 1	Health and drugs Space Pure and impure substances	What drugs are and the impact on our bodies. Understanding what objects make up the solar system, why we have day, night and seasons. Learning the difference between compounds and mixtures, being able to describe and conduct simple separation techniques to obtain components from a mixture.
Autumn 2	Electricity Energy transfers	Drawing and identifying circuit components, drawing and building simple series and parallel circuits. Introduction to using a formula to calculate resistance, voltage or current. Building on foundation knowledge obtained in Year 7 to consider energy stores, transfers and transfers by heating.
Spring 1	Gas exchange Photosynthesis	Understanding the function of the respiratory system in humans and how gases are exchanged in human lungs and in plants. Making a slide to identify stomata on the underside of a leaf. The process of photosynthesis: where it takes place in cells, the raw materials and the chemical equation that summarises the chemical reaction.
Spring 2	Materials Forces and motion	The properties of materials including metals, polymers and composites which makes them suitable for their everyday uses. Investigating the properties and reactions of metals. Learning about how forces affect motion including investigative work, analysing graphs and using physics formulae to calculate the size of a force, speed, distance or time as necessary.
Summer 1	Respiration Pressure	The process of and where it takes place in cells. Learning about the raw materials and writing the chemical equations to show what takes place during aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Calculating pressure using the formula and understanding what causes pressure.
Summer 2	Adaptation and variation	Identifying features animals and plants have to survive in their environments. Learning about natural selection and why certain species can survive in certain conditions that other species can’t. Understanding how variation arises during reproduction and why variation is important.

How learning and progress are checked

Teaching approach:

Lessons combine short teacher explanations with practical investigations, discussion and regular retrieval practice. We aim to keep students thinking hard but supported, so that key scientific ideas are revisited, linked where appropriate and remembered over time.

Assessment in this year group:

Type of assessment	Approx. frequency / when	What it is used for (e.g. reports, targets)
Classwork / quizzes	Short retrieval quizzes most lessons.	To check recall of key facts and address misconceptions quickly.
Homework tasks	Typically once per week.	To practise applying ideas and build good study habits.
End-of-topic assessments	Approximately once per half-term.	To judge understanding of each unit, inform progress data and identify and address misconceptions as they arise.
End-of-year assessment	Summer term.	To give an overall picture of progress across the year.

Homework and Independent study

How often is homework set? Once per week for example using quizzes on Educake.

Typical length per task: Around 30 minutes for example a 30 mark quiz.

Suggested independent study (websites, reading, apps, routines):

Students are encouraged to spend 10–15 minutes a week reviewing their exercise book and topic checklist. Websites such as BBC Bitesize and Seneca Learning are useful for revising topics we have covered and students are encouraged to use Educake to independently quiz their understanding of topics. Students could also use their revision guide to help consolidate their learning at home regularly.

How parents and carers can support:

Ask your child to explain one thing they learned in Science today in their own words.
Check that homework is completed on time and in full sentences where required.
Encourage a quiet, distraction-free space for homework and revision.
Help your child to revise little and often rather than leaving everything to the night before a test.

Support, stretch and enrichment:

Support for students who need extra help:

We use writing frames, key vocabulary lists and carefully structured practical tasks to support students who find Science challenging. Teachers liaise with the SEND team to adapt resources where needed.

Stretch & challenge:

More confident students are given extension questions, opportunities to research real-world applications of Science, and more complex exam-style problems such as being challenged to convert units or rearrange a formula during calculation work.

Clubs / trips / extra opportunities:

KS3 STEM in Action trip is offered to students who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in science.