BTEC Science

Student Handbook

Contents

Welcome to BTEC & Assessment

Grading

Obtaining a Pass

Obtaining a Merit

Obtaining a Distinction

Welcome to BTEC Science!

Welcome to The Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Science over the

next two years. The course is an alternative vocational A-level equivalent. It

includes topics on all 3 areas of Science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

The qualification carries UCAS points and is recognised by HE providers

contributing to admission requirements for many courses.

Assessment Approach

There are three mandatory units for the Extended Certificate:

Unit 1 is externally set and examined (June /January)

Unit 2 is internally set and assessed via assignments

Unit 3 is externally set and assessed (April/January)

One optional unit 8 is internally set and assessed via assignments

You are required to take responsibility for your own learning and achievement,

taking into account industry standards for behaviour and performance.

Assessment Procedure

When you are given an assignment, you will be asked to complete the ‘Assignment

Brief.’ This will have all of your details on it and will also contain the task and

scenario of the assignment. On the brief, there will also be the hand in date.

This is the deadline for you to hand your work in. If this deadline is met, your

assignment will be marked and handed back to you. You will be able to see what

grade you achieved and there will be a brief comment about your assignment.

If your assignment deadline is not met, the following procedure will be put into

place:

1. Teacher to set a new 2 day deadline

2. If the final deadline is missed, you will be referred to the Quality

nominee, your parents will be contacted and you will be put on a subject

support programme.

3. If the last deadline is not met, the work will be ungraded.

IF THE DEADLINE IS NOT MET YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE

OPPURTUNITY TO IMPROVE YOUR GRADE AND MAXIMUM GRADE

WILL BE WHAT YOU RECEIVE ON FIRST SUBMISSION

** Please be aware that as well as the BTEC deadline procedures for normal

Bilton homework protocol and sanctions will apply**

Grading

Every assessment will give you the opportunity to target all appropriate criteria.

In order to achieve a Merit, you must obtain all marks at pass and merit level. To

achieve a Distinction, you must meet all criteria in the Assessment criteria.

Obtaining a Pass

To obtain a pass, you must be able to show evidence that you understand the key

facts relating to a topic.

Complete To complete a form, diagram or drawing

Demonstrate To show that you can do a particular activity

Describe Give a clear, straightforward description which includes all

the main points required.

Identify Give all basic facts which relate to a certain topic

List Write a list of main items

Name State the proper terms related to a drawing or diagram

Outline Give all points but without going into too much detail

State Point out the main features

Examples Use sporting examples to back up your work

Obtaining a Merit

To obtain a merit you must be able to show that in addition to meeting the Pass

criteria, you can also use your knowledge to show you can do the following:

Comment on Give your own opinions or views

Compare/contrast Identify the main factors relating to two or more items and

point out the similarities and differences

Competently use Take full account of information and feedback you have

obtained to review or improve an activity

Demonstrate Prove that you can carry out a more complex activity

Describe Give a full description including details of all relevant

features

Explain Give logical reasons to support your views

Justify Give reasons for the points you are making so that the

reader knows what you are thinking

Suggest Give your own ideas and thoughts

Examples Use sporting examples in your work

Obtaining a Distinction

To obtain a distinction, you must be able to show that in addition to meeting the

Pass and Merit grades, you can also apply your knowledge to a situation and give

a reasoned opinion.

Analyse Identify several relevant factors, show how they are linked and

explain the importance of each

Compare…

Contrast…

Identify the main factors relaying to two or more situations and

explain the similarities and differences and in some cases say which

is best and why

Demonstrate Prove that you can carry out a complex activity taking into account

information you have obtained or received to adapt your original

ideas.

Describe Give a comprehensive description including details of all the

relevant feature and shows that you can apply your knowledge and

information correctly

Explain Provide full details and reasons to support the arguments you are

making

Justify Give full reasons or evidence to support your opinions

Recommend Weigh up all the evidence to come to a conclusion, with reasons,

about what would be best.

Examples Use examples to compare and contrast performance, behaviour and

leadership skills.

Appeals Procedures

Bilton Science Department has clear procedures for all BTEC learners to enable

them to enquire, question or appeal against any assessment decision.

Appeals Procedure stages:

Stage 1: Informal: You will be able to consult with your assessor when feedback

is given. Should the assessment decision be questioned then you have the right

to ask for a second assessment and should write this on your feedback

document.

Stage 2 – Review: review of the assessment decision by the Head of

Department. If this is the same person as the assessor, you can have a review

from the Lead Internal Verifier. If you still disagree with the findings, you can

put another request through in writing. This will then advance you to stage 3;

Stage 3 – Appeal hearing; the Quality Nominee will hear the appeal which if

unresolved will move to the next stage.

Stage 4 – External Appeal: the grounds for appeal and any supporting

documentation will be submitted to Edexcel within 14 days of completion of

stage 3.

Each stage will be recorded, dated and show either agreement or disagreement

with decisions.

Entry Requirements

You will be expected to have a standard of literacy and numeracy at a minimum

of grade 4 and able to achieve a general education equivalent to five GCSE’s at

grade 4.

What we expect from you

You to have the ability to work independently and organise your own study

time

An ability to meet deadlines

Consistent punctuality and attendance to ALL lessons

You to be able to develop problem solving skills

The ability to develop excellent knowledge of a range of Sport specific

situations

Be able to work as a member of a team as well as independently

Plagiarism

We have strict rules in place about the copying of others’ work. This includes

work you find in books and on the internet. You must always state where you get

information from – it is okay to use it as long as you say where you found it.

Wikipedia is strictly banned in assignments, as the information can sometimes be

largely inaccurate.

If you do not reference where your work is from it could lead to you having to

do the entire assignment again in your own time.

You should acknowledge your references through the use of a bibliography.

Assessment Malpractice Procedures for Students

Aims: to identify and minimise risk of malpractice by staff and learners

To respond to any incident of alleged malpractice promptly and objectively

To standardise and record any investigation of malpractice to ensure

openness and fairness

To impose appropriate penalties and or sanctions where incidents of

malpractice are proven.

To protect the integrity of Bilton School and BTEC Qualification

In order to achieve those aims, Bilton School will:

Use induction and the student handbook to inform students of Bilton’s policy

and the penalties of malpractice

Ask students to sign assessment feedback forms and observation records and

witness statements as appropriate to declare that work is their own

Ask students to acknowledge sources of information used that they have

interpreted and synthesised

Where malpractice is suspected an investigation must be conducted that

follows the following stages:

Stage 1: The teacher must make students fully aware of the nature of the

malpractice and the possible consequences

Stage 2: The student must be given the opportunity to respond to the

allegation made.

Stage 3: The student must be informed of the appeals procedure

Stage 4: The teacher uses their judgement to infer malpractice

Stage 5: If that stage of the process proves inconclusive the investigation

should be passed on to the SLT link,

All stages of the investigation should be documented.

Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS)

Throughout your BTEC studies there are lots of opportunities to develop your

personal learning and thinking skills which are looked for by employers.

IE – Independent Enquirers

CT – Creative Thinkers

RL – Reflective Learners

TW – Team Workers

SM – Self Managers

EP – Effective Participators

Throughout your BTEC Course you will also be developing and applying your

knowledge of functional skills in ICT, English and Numeracy.

Summer work for BTEC must be completed and handed in on your first BTEC

lesson.

1. A young athlete is very good at long-distance running but is not good at

sprinting.

Discuss how this difference relates to the types of muscle fibres in his

legs. 6 marks

2. Titanium is a metal that has many useful properties. However, it is used

only in small quantities for specialised purposes such as the making of hip

replacement joints. This is because the extraction of titanium from

titanium oxide. TiO2, is expensive. The industrial process to extract

titanium involves the following reactions:

TiO2 (s) + 2CL2 (g) +C(s) TiCl4 (g) + CO2 (g)

TiCl4 (g) +2Mg (l) Ti(s) =2MgCl2 (s)

Explain why this process is so expensive 6 marks

3.

Metal

Specific heat

Metal

specific

heat

Metal

specific

heat

Metal

specific

heat

Metal

specific

heat

Aluminium 897 2700 660 1.4

Copper 385 8900 1084 11.5

Cast Iron 449 7850 1149 1.4

Using the information from the table, comment on which metal is most

suitable for making a saucepan. 6 marks

4.

Effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity.

Hydrogen peroxide is a waste substance produced in cells. Hydrogen

peroxide is harmful in high concentrations, so cells must decompose it

quickly. Catalase is an enzyme found in living organisms and helps to

decompose hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.

You have been asked to write a plan for an investigation into the effect

of different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide solution on the rate of

catalase activity. 12 marks

5. Alveolar tissue is found in the lungs.

Endothelial tissue is found in the blood vessels.

(a) State the type of epithelial tissue found in both alveolar and endothelial

tissue. (1)

.......................................................................................................................................................

(b) State the function of the endothelial tissue in an artery.

(1)

.......................................................................................................................................................

(c) Describe how a build-up of cholesterol in artery walls is a risk factor in the

development of atherosclerosis. (4)

6. A home cinema system can be controlled either by an infrared remote

control or a remote control that uses a Bluetooth© connection.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of using:

• an infrared remote control

• a Bluetooth© remote control to control the home cinema system.

6 marks