English National Curriculum - Science
Mission Objectives
Identify the significant groups of the periodic table
Describe how the elements are arranged in groups and periods in the periodic table
Explain how and why the ordering of elements has changed over time
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Words and meanings to learn
Mendeleev
a Russian chemist who is best known for creating the first widely recognised periodic table of elements
periodic table
a tabular arrangement of elements in order of increasing atomic number
atomic mass
the average mass of an atom of an element, taking into account the relative abundance of each isotope
Newlands
an English chemist who proposed the Law of Octaves, an early attempt to classify elements
groups
columns on a periodic table, elements in the same group have similar chemical properties
Samantha is an accomplished science educator whose current work centres on curriculum design and professional development, supporting teachers to deliver high-quality science education through evidence-informed approaches. She is a former Head of Chemistry and Sixth Form Tutor with extensive Key Stage 4 and 5 experience, and has worked as an AQA examiner, giving her valuable insight into assessment standards and what students need to succeed.
Samantha has written the complete KS4 Science curriculum, fully aligned with the AQA GCSE Science: Trilogy specification. Covering biology, chemistry and physics, the curriculum is carefully sequenced so that students build knowledge cumulatively and see clear connections between concepts across the three sciences. Drawing on her experience as an examiner and on research into effective teaching, she has designed it to embed retrieval practice, clear explanation, worked examples and the required practicals throughout, preparing students for the demands of the GCSE exams. Grounded in the realities of the classroom, the curriculum is rigorous for students and manageable for busy teachers.
In her spare time, Samantha enjoys playing the accordion with her local orchestra and has recently taken up cricket.
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