Access for all

At Pearson, we are committed to making science education available and accessible to all students, regardless of learning style or ability. We provide a wide range of learning pathways and support that is carefully designed to help make learning science, either in the classroom or from home, accessible to all.

Your science options for KS4 and KS5

Our broad range of science qualifications allows you to choose the course and progression route that’s right for your students’ personal strengths and ambitions – making sure every individual learner has the chance to reach their full potential.

We know it can be difficult deciding on the right path, so we’re here to help. This handy guide will give you all the information you need, so you can take the first step towards teaching a rewarding and engaging science qualification.

Science from Pearson

Science for all students

We offer a range of science courses and qualifications to meet the needs of every type of student. Alongside providing a progression route to GCSE, our Entry Level Certificates support advancement in science by cementing core understanding and maximising engagement with the subject. At GCSE, we offer our students a Single Science option in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, or all three to be taken together as a Triple Science option, depending upon their individual abilities.

At KS5, students have the choice to take one or more of the three A level sciences in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Alternatively, a range of BTEC Science qualifications are also open to students who desire a combination of practical and academic experience.

Learn about our accessible exam papers

Watch our interview with Nigel English, the Chair of Examiners for Pearson Edexcel GCSE and A level Sciences. This video explores how Pearson Science assessments are accessible to all learners, as well as our quality commitments.

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Tier entry guidance

Learn about the tools you can use when deciding between Foundation or Higher Tier, for learners completing GCSE (9-1) Science.

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Understanding our exams

In the Pearson Science team, we pride ourselves on the quality of our Edexcel GCSE assessment materials. Our mission is to ensure that our papers are as accessible as possible to allow every student to demonstrate what they know and can do.

The simple design of our exam papers is something we have developed and perfected over the last 10 years. This style is replicated every year, so students are familiar with our approach to asking questions, using command words and the slow ramping of difficulty within a question and across a paper.

Understanding our exams

Recent news and blog posts

  • Are we missing a trick in primary assessment? with Jean Gross CBE

    What gets measured tends to get done. In primary schools this means a curriculum driven largely by English and maths.

    But perhaps assessment needs to help us look below the surface of these headline measures. Why? Consider these research findings:

    • Children with poor language at age five are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in literacy at age 11 than those with good language, and 11 times less likely to reach the expected standard in maths.
    • Children’s reading ability is dependent on their oral language skills – their vocabulary and language structures. The contribution of spoken language skills to reading is not confined to reading comprehension; it also predicts how easily they will learn phonics.
  • Power of Maths Spotlight... Improving accessibility for SEND learners

    Building independence through maths for every student
    By Karen McGuigan

    I was one of these children who just loved maths – even now I see it everywhere in life – but I know that’s not a talent most people have. Maths is so important. It helps us understand money, unpick practical things like our shopping and phone contracts, and make informed decisions.

    Yet the way most schools teach maths, especially to learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and additional needs, means many children are leaving education without the key maths skills they’ll need to live independently.

    In 2019, after working on maths with my then 7-year-old son who has Downs Syndrome, I started a programme called Maths For Life with the aim of creating a differentiated approach to the current maths curriculum; one that delivers essential maths that all children need for life. I believe what I’ve learned could really improve maths accessibility for every child, whatever their needs and ability.

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