AO1- development of science knowledge- KS3 you can identify the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, vacuole, chloroplasts and cell wall. you have a basic understanding of the function of these parts e.g. “the nucleus controls the activity of the cell”. you can use a microscope to view a cell; you understand that living organisms consist of cells organised into tissues, which in turn are organised into organs and then organ systems; you appreciate that certain cells are specialised to carry out particular functions e.g. “ a sperm cell has a tail so that it can swim”; you are aware that sexual reproduction involves the fertilisation of an egg cell by a sperm cell;

AO1 -GCSE you know that the many structures found within cells are known as “organelles”; you can explain the functions of mitochondria ( respiration) and ribosomes ( protein synthesis); you can explain the function of the nucleus with reference to it containing DNA which codes for the proteins which control and create our characteristics; your understanding of how cells are specialised is more detailed e.g. “a sperm cell contains many mitochondria which release a lot of energy through respiration. This allows the cell to be active and swim, increasing its chances of fertilising the egg cell”; you can describe and explain the processes of mitosis and meiosis in simple terms and explain why they are both needed for the creation of a new living organism.

AO1 – KS5 You can clearly distinguish between the structure and organisation of a eukaryotic cell compared to that of a prokaryote; you can describe and explain in detail the process and organelles involved in synthesising proteins within a cell; you can outline and explain the advantages and disadvantages of light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes and can calculate both the magnification and actual sizes of objects / images; you can interpret photomicrograph images of different organelles; you have a detailed understanding of how the structure of a DNA molecule is adapted for its function and also how the molecule copies itself; you can explain the key events in all the stages involved in mitosis and can explain how events in meiosis create a huge amount of genetic variation; you can explain the processes of transcription of mRNA and its translation into polypeptide chain; you can explain the role of transcription factors and siRNA in controlling which genetic information is used in a particular type of cell.

AO2 – application of skills and knowledge - KS3 You can apply your knowledge to identify solids, liquids and gases from noticing around the room; you can plan a simple practical to observe changes in the states of matter; you can label a bond and apply your knowledge to create a model showing the arrangement and movement of particles within a particular substance; you are aware that changes of state relate to energy changes and can apply this knowledge to explain the shape of a graph of temperature changes during change of state;

AO2 – KS4 You can describe and explain the formation of different types of chemical bond ( e.g ionic, covalent, metallic, giant lattice); you are aware of the weak forces of attraction which exist between molecules; you can apply this understanding to explain various physical properties ( eg melting or boiling point) of a substance related to its structure

AO2 – KS5 Your knowledge of intermolecular forces now extends to van der Waals, dipole-dipole and Hydrogen bonds. You can apply this knowledge to interpret the characteristics of unfamiliar substances; you can apply your knowledge to explain the effect of changing states of matter on the entropy of a system; you can then apply this to explore the feasibility of a particular chemical reaction

AO3 – how science works You understand the idea and importance of a “fair test” You can choose suitable equipment to carry out a valid experiment You know that you need to test different values in an investigation You can identify risks You can make a prediction about what pattern you might find

AO3 – how science works You can show patterns in your results in simple formats You can identify some improvements to your methods In a given situation you pick out the independent, dependent and control variables; you can justify your choice of equipment correctly You can explain the correct science in simple terms You can devise your own hypothesis and identify relevant variables

AO3 – how science works You can write a risk assessment including hazards and appropriate control actions You can identify sources of error in your equipment and method You can suggest better ways of doing things You can decide how strong and valid your evidence is You can plot graphs which show the range of results for each value

You can use relevant science to justify a prediction AO3 – how science works You can use relevant science to justify a prediction You can source relevant information and analyse it to inform your plan for an investigation, you can relate your experiment to a “real life context” You can calculate the percentage error of your equipment and assess the impact of this You can understand and use the terms “resolution” and “reproducibility” You can compare and contrast your own results to those given in case studies

You can critically analyse a given method or data AO3 – how science works You can calculate the gradient of a line graph and understand what it represents You can critically analyse a given method or data You can interpret leading edge methodology and explain the conclusions that would arise from it You work confidently through the scientific method an can evaluate each stage of it You can carry out and interpret appropriate statistical analysis of your data to determine its significance