The Separate Subject Science (SSS) course at St John Payne begins in Year 10. It leads to separate GCSE qualifications in Biology, Chemistry and Physics and represents an 'extra' GCSE in comparison with the rest of the student body. Students have individual Biology, Chemistry and Physics teachers and are taught for two periods per week per subject.

Because the SSS course is taught in the same time allocation as Combined Science (Trilogy) course, students will need to complete considerably more work outside of lessons in their own time. As a result, the Separate Subject Science Course represents one of the toughest challenge at GCSE. and as such it is suitable only for highly motivated students who are willing to commit to the extra level of work and study it requires. Only by making this commitment  will students be able to achieve their target grades.

Entry to the SSS course is part of the Year 9 options process. Selection for the Separate Science course will be based on students’ average attainment in all Year 9 tests up to and including July 7th. In the event of a tie, the student with the best behaviour for learning in Year 9 will be offered in preference. 

Students selected for the Separate Science course will be informed on Monday 10th July and made aware of the courses’ demands and expectations. Offered students will have until Wednesday July 12th to accept or reject their offer. Should any students reject their offer, the next best-placed student will be offered their place. The maximum number of offered places is capped at 48.

The school follows the AQA syllabus, details of which can be found linked below. Unfortunately, while the school has a limited number of textbooks for classroom use it us unable to provide a personal copy for students. Parents wishing to buy text books can use the links below.

Biology Specification  Chemistry Specification  Physics Specification

Revision Guides for Separate Subject GCSE 

The best form of revision is to past-paper questions. Past paper questions are archived at the Biology, Chemistry and Physics areas of SJP Science. Revision guides are not a magic bullet but they can offer a useful distillation of what are three very large syllabi. As such we recommend the CGP book series linked below.

Revision is NOT reading. Revision is doing! Click below for the presentation we use to talk to students about exam preparation