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Common Entrance Science Syllabus

The Common Entrance (CE) syllabus is determined by the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) and can be found on the ISEB website. At 11+, it is expected that content in the National Curriculum for KS1 has been covered, and the majority of KS2. At 13+, both KS1 and KS2 are assumed prior knowledge.

Summarising the year 5 and 6 recommended programme of study, at 11+ pupils are expected to:

Work scientifically:

• Plan experiments involving variables
• Record and measure data
• Draw conclusions and discuss results, using them to predict related outcomes

Be familiar with living things and their habitats:

• Describe life cycles and life processes
• Classify living things into groups based on characteristics
• Identify the circulatory system
• Describe how nutrients are transported within animals and plants

Recognise the impact of evolution and inheritance:

• Understand what fossils can tell us
• Be familiar with inheritance and adaptations

Explain how we see things:

• Know that light appears to travel in straight lines
• Explain that we see things because light travels or is reflected into our eye

Identify an electric circuit and the components:

• Know that increasing voltage increases brightness of a lamp or volume of a buzzer

Understand properties of materials:

• Classify materials as soluble, transparent, conductive etc
• Know the differences between solids liquids and gases
• Explain processes such as evaporation and filtration
• Understand why certain materials are used for certain functions given their physical properties

Describe Earth and Space:

• Describe the movement of planets relative to the sun, and the moon relative to earth
• Understand the rotation of the Earth

Explain and identify forces:

• Gravity
• The effects of resistance
• How levels and pulleys allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Please note that topics covered in previous years are also required. For detail on the 13+ curriculum, do look at the ISEB specification.

What is the best way to teach children to read? 

Teaching reading requires children to master two skills; phonics and language comprehension. They need to be able to decode by blending sounds in words to read them and they need to comprehend what the word means in the given context. In school, children will be taught these two skills at the same time.

Phonics is used to teach word reading. Phonics connects letters (graphemes) with the sounds they make (phonemes). When children recognise the phonemes, represented by the graphemes, and blend them together, they can read words. Children will probably be taught letters and sounds in a specific order at school. Good phonic teaching relies on the accuracy of adults’ articulation of the phonemes so while it is possible to teach your child phonics, they need to be accurately spoken.

A common misconception when adults teach children these sounds is to lengthen the sound. For example, in the word nut, ‘n’ is often said as ‘nuh’; ‘u’ is often said as ‘uh’ and ‘t’ can be pronounced as ‘tuh’. This could end up causing lots of confusion, since the word could sound like ‘nutter’. While you may want to introduce letter sounds to your children, it’s worth noting that inaccurate modelling of these sounds could cause confusion and lead to inaccuracies when sounding out.

The IB Economics Diploma Programme at Higher Level is a rigorous part of the IB. Like any subject, it is difficult if you don’t get to grips with the basics. Below, I’ll briefly outline the course structure, followed by a focus on the final exams and the internal assessment. I’ll share some revision techniques and advice on achieving the top grade. Finally, I’ll share some advice on where to pursue your interest in economics at university level once you’ve finished the IB!

What is the extended essay for IB?

The extended essay is a compulsory element of the International Baccalaureate for any subject group. The components are an essay of 3500 to 4000 words and a viva voce, and these are completed over the course of a year. The key focus of the extended essay is to allow students to develop research skills into a topic of their choosing, and extend their engagement beyond the school syllabus.

What is IB ToK?

Theory of Knowledge (ToK) is one of the core components of the IB Diploma Programme. It is mandatory for all students and the ToK requirement is central to the educational philosophy of the IB Diploma.

The ToK course provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on “how we know” what we claim to know. Students will be required to think deeply and philosophically about what knowledge actually is; where it comes from, what it is constituted of, and the role of bias in shaping our views and beliefs.

How hard is it to get a 9 in GCSE French?

French continues to be the most popular modern language subject at GCSE, with 126,185 provisional entries in 2022, but it saw a fall in the top grades: 31.4 per cent achieved a grade 7/A or above compared with 32.9 per cent in 2021 and 23.7 per cent in 2019. The pass rate fell by 5 percentage points to 78.1 per cent compared with 83.1 per cent in 2021 and 69.7 per cent in 2019. Almost 12,500 students received the top grade of a 9 in French this year, representing the top 10.3% of overall entries. The plurality of students (almost 33,000) received a grade 5, just over 27.2% of the total. Interestingly, this is a slight decline on 2021 figures, where 9.3% of overall candidates received a 9 in GCSE French, when grades were teacher assessed due to the pandemic.

The number of students receiving top grades should only really be reviewed if you’re a bit of a polymath! Understanding these statistics will be of little practical use. While you’re technically competing with over a hundred thousand other candidates, you’re really competing with the exam paper or examiner (in the speaking exam) as to how well you can answer the question and demonstrate what they want to see. The next few sections will go into detail about how best to revise for your French GCSE, prioritising revision tips as you head into exams. 

How hard is it to get a 9 in GCSE Physics? 

Physics is quite often considered the most daunting Science for GCSE pupils, since concepts are challenging and there is a high mathematical element. But do not be perturbed! We will look closely at what is required to get top grades below, and hopefully shed some light on any concerns. On average, AQA award grade 9 to candidates scoring 70% and Edexcel to those achieving 75%. These grade boundaries vary annually. 

Roughly 12-17% of pupils are awarded a 9 in GCSE Physics each year, according to Ofqual. This percentage seems to be increasing each year, although results awarded during COVID may have skewed this data.  

How hard is it to get a 9 in GCSE History?

The grade boundaries for a 9 in History vary year on year, as well as between boards and papers, however, the 2022 exams indicate that a mark of around 75 per cent or higher will receive a 9 in the History GCSE.  

Should I take Maths for A Level? 

Mathematics has been the most popular A Level choice for some time now. This is due to Maths being a highly applicable subject in a range of professions, and is often a requirement for some university degrees. While it is a popular choice, it is also a challenging subject that will require a lot of work to get top marks. 

After completing GCSEs, students will have to make the important decision of choosing which subjects they will continue to study for the next two years. Most people do only 3 or 4 subjects for A Level, so choosing subjects that you are eager to study in depth is vital, as you will spend a lot more time with each of these subjects. With this in mind, students should consider whether Maths is the right choice for them from the perspective of ability and interest. 

Many schools will only let students take A Level Maths if they achieved a 6 or higher in their GCSE Maths exam, though this may vary at different institutions. If you are on track for a 7,8, or 9 at GCSE, then A Level Maths will likely be within your ability.  

Finally, students that are aiming for a certain degree should confirm whether Maths is a required or suggested subject for their course. Potential Maths or Physics students should certainly be taking Maths (and often Further Maths) at A Level, but many other STEM subjects also ask for a strong grade in Maths. For example, courses in Medicine, Psychology, and Computer Science may require students to take Maths or a similar subject for A Level. 

Non-verbal reasoning tests are used to assess how children process visual information and implement visual logic. They are sat for the entrance tests at all levels for a large number of schools in the UK, as well as being a part of the ISEB pre-test and UKiset.  

What is an EPQ? 

An Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a standalone A-Level qualification designed to extend students beyond the A-Level specification and prepare them for university and beyond. It is worth half of an A-Level (28 UCAS points for an A*) and is recognised for university applications. 

There are four main types of EPQ: 

1. Write a dissertation - A 5000 word essay on the student’s chosen topic 
2. Carry out an investigation - Conduct research on a testable hypothesis 
3. Give a performance -  Putting together an artistic production such as a play or a musical 
4. Create an artefact - Students create a product such as a piece of artwork or a phone app 

Alternatives to a 5000 word dissertation must include a 1000 word report detailing the creation process. 

Finally, students will have to give a 10-15 minute presentation on their project which will include a Q&A session. 

Which is ‘best’, Oxford or Cambridge University?  

It should be clear that the ‘best’ of these two historic institutions is going to be the one which has the most to offer you. This decision should be based on careful and thorough research. Knowing exactly why you want to go to Oxford over Cambridge won’t just help improve your application, it will be the reason behind it, as you cannot apply for both.

Keystone Founder, Will Orr-Ewing was quoted in today's Telegraph article on rate of admissions for independent school pupils to Oxbridge. 

Read the full article here. 

Are you taking your GCSE Biology exam this summer and looking for guidance on how to achieve a top grade?

In this article, Keystone Tutors have compiled the best advice for acing the GCSE Biology exam, including how best to prepare, top tips for achieving a Grade 9, and key findings from examiner reports.

Deciding whether to study Double Award (Combined Science) or Triple Award GCSE Science can be a difficult decision and one which might influence future A Level and degree choices.

In this article we discuss the differences between Double Award and Triple Award Science, the pros and cons of each and how to decide between these two GCSE qualifications.

What is STEP Maths? 

STEP stands for Sixth Term Examination Paper and is a collection of three exams (STEP 1, 2 and 3) which traditionally are used in conditional offers by Cambridge to determine if you get accepted for Maths or Maths-related degrees. Other universities, like Warwick and Imperial, use STEP in some of their Maths offers. You sit these papers in the Summer alongside your other exams like A-Levels, IB and Pre-U. The grades you can get in STEP, from best to worst, are S, 1, 2, 3, U. 

STEP 1 has been discontinued as of 2021 and so only STEP 2 and 3 remain. In the past, if you studied only Maths but not Further Maths, you would have to sit STEP 1 for Cambridge, while if you sat Maths and Further Maths (which was the case for the vast majority of candidates) you would sit STEP 2 and 3. Now Cambridge requires that any Maths candidates study both Maths and Further Maths and so there is no need for STEP 1. However, the past STEP 1 papers can be very useful for revision, especially early on, as they are essentially easier versions of STEP 2, and so can be used as a stepping-stone. 

Starting primary school is a big step in your child’s life and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. This guide gives you a detailed overview on preparing your child for school, recommended reading lists plus some activities and ideas that may be helpful for supporting your child with the transition.

Keystone's founder Will Orr-Ewing was quoted in today's Times article on the impact of Russian sanctions on UK independent education.

Read the full article here.