21st Century Science
From September 2006 all centres offering GCSE Science have had to deliver specifications in line with revised QCA criteria.
21st Century Science has been piloted in over 75 schools including Palatine, since September 2003. The feedback that has been received from ours and many other schools has been crucial in shaping the specification and resources for the new course.
Twenty First Century Science is a set of GCSE Science courses that have been developed to give all 14 to 16 year olds a worthwhile and inspiring experience of Science. The strength of the programme is that it meets the needs, through flexible options, of those who will go on to be professional scientists and of those who will not.
How will the courses meet the needs of young people?
21st Century Science has at its heart a GCSE Science course, which everyone will study. This builds on the science that young people will have studied in school at an earlier age, in a way that will help them to engage with an increasingly scientific world.
How many GCSE grades will my child get?
A student taking just GCSE Science will be awarded one GCSE grade for Science.
Any students who take GCSE Science and an Additional Science course will be awarded two GCSE grades, one for each course. However, because the courses are independent, the two grades may differ.
Will this course prepare young people to study Science after GCSE?
In addition to developing their scientific understanding through the GCSE Science course, many students will expand their study of Science, to provide a grounding for possible further study of Science post-16. For these students 21st Century Science offers an additional course, which will appeal to those considering a working life where Science will be needed.
