Senior Phase courses
An overview of our Senior Phase courses
National 5 Biology
Course overview:National 5 Biology develops understanding of living systems from cells to ecosystems. Pupils build biological knowledge alongside inquiry, data handling, literacy and evaluation skills. The nationally defined areas are Cell Biology, Multicellular Organisms and Life on Earth.
National assessment format:One question paper: 80 marks, 2 hours. Section 1: 20 marks; Section 2: 60 marks. Assignment: 20 marks, worth 20% of the course assessment. No assignment scaling from 2026-27.
Assignment focus:biological investigation, use of biological knowledge, data collection/handling, graphing, analysis, conclusion and evaluation.
Timeline:
Teaching block | Learning focus | How this supports assessment |
May-June / Aug | Cell Biology: cell structure, transport, DNA/proteins, enzymes and respiration | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Sept | Unit 1 assessment checkpoint | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Oct-Dec | Multicellular Organisms: cells, control and communication, reproduction, variation and inheritance | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Dec | Winter assessment covering Unit 1 and most of Unit 2 | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Jan-Feb | Assignment preparation and write-up | Assignment window: apply practical/investigative skills and complete formal coursework preparation. |
Feb-Mar | Life on Earth: ecosystems, sampling, photosynthesis, biodiversity and human impact | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Mar | End of year assessment | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Apr-May | Final exam preparation and targeted revision | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
Higher Biology
Course overview:Higher Biology extends understanding from molecular biology to whole-organism biology and ecological systems. The nationally defined areas are DNA and the Genome, Metabolism and Survival, and Sustainability and Interdependence.
National assessment format:One question paper: 100 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes. Section 1: 20 multiple-choice marks; Section 2: 80 restricted/extended-response marks. Assignment: 20 raw marks, scaled to 25 marks, worth 20% of the course assessment.
Assignment focus:biological investigation, use of biological knowledge, data collection/handling, graphing, analysis, conclusion and evaluation.
Timeline:
Teaching block | Learning focus | How this supports assessment |
Before summer | Initial Higher transition work and first homework tasks | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Aug-Sept | DNA and the Genome: DNA structure, replication, expression, mutations, evolution and genomics | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
End Sept | Unit 1 assessment checkpoint | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Oct-Dec | Metabolism and Survival: metabolic pathways, respiration, regulation and survival strategies | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Dec | Winter assessment covering Unit 1 and most of Unit 2 | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Jan-Feb | Assignment preparation, data handling and write-up | Assignment window: apply practical/investigative skills and complete formal coursework preparation. |
Feb-Mar | Sustainability and Interdependence | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Mar | End of year assessment covering Unit 2 and Unit 3 | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Apr-May | Final exam preparation and targeted revision | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
Higher
National 5 Chemistry
Course overview:National 5 Chemistry uses experimental and investigative approaches to understand chemical changes, structure, everyday materials, fuels and analysis. The school timeline is based on the uploaded N5 course spreadsheet.
National assessment format:One question paper: 80 marks, 2 hours. Section 1: 20 marks; Section 2: 60 marks. Assignment: 20 marks. Scaling no longer applies from 2026-27.
Assignment focus:practical chemistry investigation, experimental method, processing results, linking evidence to chemical understanding and evaluating the procedure/data.
Timeline:
Teaching block | Learning focus | How this supports assessment |
May-June | Rates of reaction; atomic structure and the periodic table | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Aug-Oct | Nuclear chemistry; bonding; formulae and reacting quantities | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Sept | Snapshot reporting and learning conversations; assessment checkpoint | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Oct-Dec | Acids and bases; fertilisers; chemical analysis | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Dec | Winter Assessment | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Jan-Feb | Metals; assignment; learning conversations and parents evening window | Assignment window: apply practical/investigative skills and complete formal coursework preparation. |
Feb-Apr | Homologous series; plastics; everyday consumer products; energy from fuels | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Mar-Apr | Full progress reports and final course assessment checkpoint | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Apr-May | Final exam preparation and targeted revision | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
Higher Chemistry
Course overview:Higher Chemistry deepens understanding of periodicity, bonding, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry and organic chemistry. The school timeline is based on the uploaded Higher Chemistry timeline.
National assessment format:One question paper: 100 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes. Section 1 objective test: 20 marks; Section 2 restricted/extended-response: 80 marks. Assignment: 20 raw marks, scaled to 25 marks, worth 20% of the course assessment.
Assignment focus:practical chemistry investigation, experimental method, processing results, linking evidence to chemical understanding and evaluating the procedure/data.
Timeline:
Teaching block | Learning focus | How this supports assessment |
June | Periodicity; bonding; redox | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Aug-Sept | Redox titrations | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Sept | Unit 1 assessment; snapshot reporting and learning conversations | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Sept-Oct | Getting the most from reactants; rates; enthalpy | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Oct-Dec | Analysis; researching chemistry | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Dec | Winter assessment and learning conversations | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Jan | Equilibrium; assignment | Assignment window: apply practical/investigative skills and complete formal coursework preparation. |
Feb-Apr | Hydrocarbons; alcohols and carboxylic acids; esters; fats and oils; soaps and emulsifiers; proteins; oxidation; fragrance and skin care | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Mar-Apr | Full progress reports and learner conversations | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Apr-May | Unit 2 and skills assessment; final exam preparation | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
National 5 Physics
Course overview:National 5 Physics develops understanding of waves, radiation, forces, motion, energy, matter, electricity and space. The school timeline is based on the uploaded National 5 Physics planning document.
National assessment format:One question paper: 110 marks, 2 hours. The question paper has been reduced for 2026-27 and scaling removed. Assignment: 20 raw marks, scaled to 28 marks from 2026-27.
Assignment focus:experimental physics investigation, measurement, uncertainties, graphical/numerical analysis, conclusion and evaluation.
Timeline:
Teaching block | Learning focus | How this supports assessment |
May-June | Waves and Radiation: sound, wave equation, diffraction, electromagnetic spectrum, refraction and radiation | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Aug-Sept | Background radiation, half-life, dosimetry, fission and fusion | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Sept | Waves, Radiation and Vectors assessment | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Sept-Oct | Dynamics and Space: vectors, speed, velocity-time graphs, acceleration, Newton's laws, F=ma and energy | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Oct-Nov | Energy, projectiles, satellites, life on the ISS, cosmology, spectroscopy and spectra | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Dec | Winter Assessment | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
Jan-Feb | Properties of Matter: specific heat capacity, specific latent heat, pressure, kinetic theory and gas laws; assignment preparation | Assignment window: apply practical/investigative skills and complete formal coursework preparation. |
Feb-Mar | Electricity: charge carriers, AC/DC, potential difference, Ohm's law, potential dividers, transistors and switching circuits | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Mar-Apr | PoM and Electricity assessment; revision and exam preparation | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
Higher Physics
Course overview:Higher Physics builds on National 5 through Particles and Waves, Electricity and Our Dynamic Universe. It places strong emphasis on mathematical modelling, experimental work, data analysis and applying relationships to unfamiliar contexts. The school timeline is based on the uploaded Higher Physics planning document.
National assessment format:One question paper: 130 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes. This replaces the previous two-paper structure from 2026-27. Assignment: 20 raw marks, scaled to 33 marks from 2026-27.
Assignment focus:experimental physics investigation, measurement, uncertainties, graphical/numerical analysis, conclusion and evaluation.
Timeline:
Teaching block | Learning focus | How this supports assessment |
May-June | Uncertainties, prefixes and units; start Particles and Waves | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Aug-Oct | Particles and Waves: standard model, nuclear reactions, inverse square law, wave-particle duality, interference, diffraction, spectra and refraction | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Oct | Particles and Waves assessment and learner conversations | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Oct-Dec | Electricity: AC/DC, current, potential dividers, internal resistance, capacitors and semiconductors | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Dec | Prelim assessment and analysis | Formal checkpoint: used for feedback, target setting and revision planning. |
Jan | Our Dynamic Universe: equations of motion, velocity-time graphs, acceleration and forces | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Jan-Feb | Assignment window | Assignment window: apply practical/investigative skills and complete formal coursework preparation. |
Feb-Mar | Forces, energy and power; momentum and impulse; gravitation; relativity; Doppler; redshift; Hubble's law and expanding universe | Builds core knowledge and retrieval practice. |
Mar-Apr | ODU assessment; revision and final exam preparation | Targeted revision: past-paper practice, misconception repair and exam technique. |
