Combined Science

Levels of organisation: cells to tissues, organs and systems

Eukaryotic vs prokaryotic cells

Animal cell structures and functions

Plant cell structures and functions

Bacterial cell structures and plasmids

Specialised cells and adaptations

Microscopy basics: magnification and resolution

Core Practical: Microscopy, magnification calculations and biological drawings

Calculating magnification and image size

Enzymes as biological catalysts

The lock-and-key idea and enzyme specificity

Denaturation and why temperature/pH affect enzymes

Core Practical: Effect of pH on enzyme activity

Calculating rates of enzyme activity from data

Diffusion in cells: what affects rate

Osmosis and water potential (GCSE level)

Active transport: why cells need energy

Core Practical: Osmosis in potatoes (percent mass change)

Interpreting osmosis results and evaluating method

The cell cycle: growth, DNA replication and division

Mitosis: what it is and why it matters

Using mitosis to explain growth and repair

Stem cells: what they are and where they come from

Stem cells in medicine: risks, benefits and ethics

Cell differentiation and development in animals

The nervous system: CNS and peripheral nervous system

Neurones: sensory, relay and motor

Synapses: what they do (GCSE-level overview)

Reflex arcs and reaction time

Factors affecting reaction time and reliability of results

The endocrine system: glands and hormones (overview)

Comparing nervous and hormonal control

Plant responses: tropisms and stimuli

Auxin and phototropism/geotropism (GCSE model)

Interpreting practical investigations on tropisms

DNA, genes and chromosomes

Base pairing and the genetic code (GCSE level)

Mitosis vs meiosis: why meiosis makes gametes

Variation: inherited vs environmental causes

Mutations: what they are and their effects

Inheritance vocabulary: genotype, phenotype, dominant, recessive

Monohybrid inheritance using Punnett squares

Using probability to predict genetic outcomes

Sex determination and sex-linked basics (where required)

Genetic disorders: recessive conditions and family trees (GCSE level)

Using and interpreting pedigree diagrams

Continuous vs discontinuous variation

Measuring variation and presenting data (charts/graphs)

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection

Selection pressures and survival advantage

Speciation: how new species can form (GCSE level)

Evidence for evolution: fossils and antibiotic resistance

Selective breeding: process and examples

Selective breeding: drawbacks and ethics

Genetic engineering: what it is (genes into organisms)

GM crops: potential benefits and risks

Bacterial production of useful proteins (e.g., insulin) (overview)

Cloning: what it means (plants/animals) (overview where required)

Interpreting “evaluate” questions on GM and selection

Defining health and disease

Communicable vs non-communicable diseases

Pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists

Transmission routes and prevention

Plant diseases: examples and impacts (overview)

Human immune system: barriers (skin, mucus, stomach acid)

White blood cells and basic immune responses

Antibodies and memory cells (secondary response)

Vaccination: how it works and herd immunity (GCSE level)

Antibiotics: what they treat and why resistance happens

Discovery and development of new drugs (overview)

Clinical trials: placebo, double blind, peer review (overview)

Lifestyle factors and disease risk (smoking, diet, alcohol, exercise)

Cardiovascular disease: risk factors and treatments (GCSE level)

Evaluating treatments using evidence/data

Photosynthetic organisms as producers and biomass

Leaf structure and gas exchange in plants

Photosynthesis: word equation and balanced symbol equation

Chloroplasts and chlorophyll (role in photosynthesis)

Limiting factors: light, CO₂, temperature

Investigating photosynthesis rates using data (graphs/tables)

Core Practical: Light intensity and photosynthesis rate

Plant mineral requirements: nitrate and magnesium

Transport in plants: xylem structure and function

Transpiration: what it is and why it happens

Factors affecting transpiration rate

Measuring/using rate calculations for transpiration

Phloem and translocation (overview)

Plant hormones and responses (link to tropisms)

Homeostasis: keeping conditions stable

The nervous system in maintaining homeostasis (overview)

The endocrine system and negative feedback (overview)

Thermoregulation: sweating and shivering

Blood glucose control: insulin and glucagon (GCSE level)

Diabetes: Type 1 vs Type 2 (overview and lifestyle links)

Water balance and kidneys (overview where required)

Hormones in the menstrual cycle (overview where required)

Maintaining heart rate and breathing rate during exercise (overview)

Interpreting control/coordination practical data and evaluating methods

Why multicellular organisms need exchange surfaces

Gas exchange surfaces: features that increase diffusion

Human lungs: structure (trachea, bronchi, alveoli)

Diffusion in the lungs and factors affecting rate

Breathing: inhalation and exhalation mechanics

Effects of smoking and disease on gas exchange

Circulatory system: heart, blood vessels and blood

Double circulation and why it’s efficient

Blood components and their functions

Coronary heart disease: causes and risk

Aerobic respiration vs anaerobic respiration (comparison)

Core Practical: Rate of respiration in living organisms

Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output calculations

Interpreting exercise data: breathing rate and heart rate changes

What an ecosystem is: biotic and abiotic factors

Population, community and habitat definitions

Food chains, food webs and trophic levels

Biomass transfer and pyramids of biomass (GCSE level)

Sampling organisms: random sampling and avoiding bias

Core Practical: Quadrat and transect fieldwork

Estimating population size from sample data

Relationships between organisms: predation, competition

Parasitism and mutualism

Decomposers and the role of microorganisms

The carbon cycle (processes and keywords)

The water cycle (processes and keywords)

Human impacts: land use, pollution, biodiversity loss (overview)

Interpreting ecological data sets and evaluating conclusions

Formulae, equations and hazards

Key concepts in chemistry

States of matter and mixtures

Chemical changes

Extracting metals and equilibria

Groups in the periodic table

Rates of reaction and energy changes

Fuels and Earth science

Naming and writing formulae for elements and simple compounds

Writing ionic formulae using charges

Writing word equations from descriptions

Balancing symbol equations (including state symbols)

Conservation of mass in reactions

Writing simple ionic equations (where required)

Hazard symbols and lab safety basics

Identifying variables and control in chemistry practicals

Dalton model to modern atomic model (overview)

Subatomic particles: relative charge and mass

Atomic number and mass number

Isotopes and why they differ

Electronic structure and shells (GCSE model)

The periodic table as a list of elements and patterns

Metals vs non-metals: general properties

Ionic bonding: formation and dot-and-cross diagrams

Covalent bonding: molecules and dot-and-cross diagrams

Metallic bonding and metal properties (GCSE model)

Simple molecular vs giant covalent structures (overview)

Relative formula mass (Mr) and calculations

The mole: using Avogadro concept (GCSE level)

Using moles to find masses and amounts

Concentration calculations (g/dm³ and mol/dm³ where required)

Empirical formula from masses/percentages

Interpreting percentage yield and atom economy (overview if required)

Particle model: solids, liquids and gases

Changes of state and energy transfer

Melting/boiling points and purity (overview)

Diffusion in liquids and gases (chemistry context)

Mixtures vs pure substances

Filtration, crystallisation and evaporation

Simple distillation and fractional distillation (basic differences)

Chromatography: separation and interpretation

Core Practical: Distillation + paper chromatography of inks

Calculating and using Rf values

Testing for gases: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, chlorine (overview)

Making water potable: sedimentation, filtration, chlorination

Distilling sea water and energy considerations (overview)

Acids and alkalis: pH and indicators

Strong vs weak acids (degree of ionisation)

Neutralisation: making salts and water

Making soluble salts by reacting acid + metal/carbonate/alkali

Preparing insoluble salts by precipitation (overview)

Core Practical: pH change during neutralisation (calcium hydroxide/oxide + HCl)

Acid-alkali titration technique and calculations (overview)

Core Practical: Making hydrated copper sulfate crystals (from copper oxide)

Electrolysis basics: ions, electrodes and charge flow

Electrolysis of molten ionic compounds (overview)

Electrolysis of aqueous solutions (rules of discharge overview)

Core Practical: Electrolysis of copper sulfate (inert vs copper electrodes)

Oxidation and reduction in terms of electrons (redox)

Identifying oxidation/reduction in electrolysis reactions

The reactivity series and what it predicts

Oxidation and reduction in metal extraction

Extracting metals using carbon reduction (iron as example)

Why some metals need electrolysis (aluminium as example)

Chemical cells and corrosion (overview where required)

Rusting: conditions needed and prevention (overview)

Recycling metals: economic and environmental reasons (overview)

Reversible reactions and dynamic equilibrium

Le Chatelier’s principle: temperature changes

Le Chatelier’s principle: pressure changes (gases)

Le Chatelier’s principle: concentration changes

Evaluating equilibrium shifts using particle ideas and equations

How the modern periodic table is arranged

Group 1: properties and trends

Group 1 reactions with water (pattern and products)

Group 7: halogens and trends

Halogen displacement reactions (predicting outcomes)

Group 0: noble gases and why they’re unreactive

Using electron structure to explain group properties

Comparing metals and non-metals in groups

Writing equations for group reactions (GCSE level)

What “rate of reaction” means

Collision theory and activation energy

Factors affecting rate: temperature

Factors affecting rate: concentration/pressure

Factors affecting rate: surface area

Catalysts and enzymes (chemistry link)

Measuring rate: gas volume, mass loss, colour change

Core Practical: Rates (marble chips gas method + thiosulfate disappearing cross)

Drawing and interpreting rate graphs

Comparing rate data and evaluating conclusions

Exothermic vs endothermic reactions

Reaction profiles and energy level diagrams

Bond breaking and bond making (energy idea)

Calculating energy changes using bond energies (overview where required)

Crude oil as a mixture of hydrocarbons

Fractional distillation of crude oil (fractions and uses)

Alkanes: general formula and combustion

Alkenes: double bonds and polymerisation (overview)

Complete vs incomplete combustion

Pollutants from combustion (CO, SO₂, NOx, particulates)

Climate change basics: CO₂ and greenhouse effect (GCSE level)

Reducing emissions: catalytic converters and cleaner fuels (overview)

Earth’s structure: crust, mantle, core (overview)

Earth’s atmosphere: composition and how it changed (overview)

Water resources and sustainability (overview where required)

Evaluating fuel choices using data (cost, pollution, energy output)

Key concepts of physics

Motion and forces

Conservation of energy

Waves

Light and the electromagnetic spectrum

Radioactivity

Energy – forces doing work

Forces and their effects

Electricity and circuits

Magnetism and the motor effect

Electromagnetic induction

Particle model

Forces and matter

Using SI base units and standard prefixes

Converting between units (including km/h to m/s)

Measuring length, mass, time and temperature accurately

Density as mass/volume and rearranging the equation

Investigating density using practical measurements (overview)

Pressure as force/area (intro for later topics)

Representing data: tables, graphs and gradients

Uncertainty and selecting appropriate apparatus (GCSE level)

Significant figures and standard form in physics calculations (where required)

Scalars vs vectors

Distance vs displacement (intro)

Speed calculations and interpreting graphs

Velocity and direction (intro)

Acceleration and units

Distance–time graphs: describing motion

Velocity–time graphs: acceleration and deceleration

Calculating distance from area under a velocity–time graph

Resultant force and Newton’s first law (conceptual)

Newton’s second law: F = m a

Core Practical: Force, mass and acceleration with trolleys

Newton’s third law pairs (action–reaction)

Stopping distance: thinking distance vs braking distance (overview)

Factors affecting stopping distance (speed, friction, driver)

Circular motion: changing velocity at constant speed (qualitative)

Energy stores and pathways (transfer mechanisms)

Work done and energy transfer

Power as energy per second

Efficiency calculations and Sankey diagrams (overview)

Renewable vs non-renewable energy resources (overview)

National and global energy use (overview)

Energy in heating and temperature rise (link to SHC practical)

Selecting the best energy resource for a scenario (evaluation)

What waves transfer (energy, not matter)

Transverse vs longitudinal waves

Amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period

Wave speed equation v = f λ

Measuring wave properties in water, sound and solids (overview)

Reflection and absorption of waves

Refraction: change in speed and direction at a boundary

Sound waves: pitch and loudness (frequency and amplitude)

Measuring sound speed (overview)

Core Practical: Suitability of equipment for wave speed/frequency/wavelength

Light as a transverse wave (intro)

Reflection: angle of incidence = angle of reflection

Refraction and the normal line

Lenses: converging vs diverging (basic ray ideas)

Core Practical: Refraction in a rectangular glass block

The electromagnetic spectrum in order

EM waves as a continuous spectrum

Comparing wavelength, frequency and energy across the spectrum

Uses of radio/microwaves/IR/visible/UV/X-ray/gamma (overview)

Dangers of ionising vs non-ionising radiation (overview)

Atoms, nuclei and isotopes (recap link)

Types of radiation: alpha, beta, gamma

Properties and penetration of each type

Background radiation: sources and variation

Irradiation vs contamination

Half-life and what it means

Using half-life graphs and decay curves

Calculating remaining activity after multiple half-lives

Safety precautions and risk (evaluation style questions)

Work done as force × distance moved

Energy transfers when forces do work

Power in mechanical situations (e.g., climbing stairs)

Gravitational potential energy changes

Kinetic energy and speed dependence

Conservation of energy in lifting and falling objects

Efficiency in devices that do mechanical work

Investigating power practically (stairs/lifting) (overview)

Contact and non-contact forces

Weight vs mass and gravitational field strength

Force as a vector: direction matters

Drawing and using free-body diagrams

Balanced vs unbalanced forces and motion

Hooke’s law: force and extension

Spring constant and rearranging F = kx

Elastic limit and force–extension graphs

Work done stretching a spring (energy stored)

Core Practical: Spring extension and work done

Moments: turning effect of a force (intro where required)

Stability and centre of mass (intro where required)

Charge and current (what current means)

Potential difference as energy transferred per charge (concept)

Resistance and how it affects current

Series circuits: current, voltage and resistance rules

Parallel circuits: current paths and voltage rules

Using circuit symbols and drawing diagrams

Measuring current and voltage correctly (ammeter/voltmeter)

I–V characteristics of a resistor (ohmic behaviour)

I–V characteristics of a filament lamp (non-ohmic)

Core Practical: Circuits and I–V (resistor + filament lamp; series vs parallel)

Calculating resistance using V = I R

Mains electricity safety (fuse, earth, double insulation) (overview)

Permanent magnets and magnetic fields

Magnetic field lines and what they show

Electromagnets: current creates a magnetic field

Solenoids and factors affecting field strength

The motor effect: force on a current in a magnetic field

Fleming’s left-hand rule (direction of force)

Using F = B I l (where required)

DC motor: parts and how it works (overview)

Induced potential difference from changing magnetic fields

Factors affecting induced voltage (rate of change, turns, field strength)

Generators: AC generation (overview)

The national grid: why high voltage is used (overview)

Transformers: step-up and step-down (overview)

Using transformers safely and efficiently (evaluation)

States of matter and internal energy (link to chemistry)

Temperature vs thermal energy

Heating curves and changes of state

Specific heat capacity and energy calculations

Core Practical: Specific heat capacity of water + melting ice temperature–time graph

Latent heat idea (overview where required)

Gas pressure in terms of particles (qualitative)

Pressure in fluids: force per area

Pressure in liquids: depth and density (qualitative/GCSE equations where required)

Upthrust and floating (overview)

Moments in structures (overview where required)

Stress, strain and material behaviour (overview)

Extension and elastic/plastic deformation (link to Hooke’s law)

Engineering choices: strength, stiffness and density (evaluation style)