KS5

The Biology Department is a busy part of the Science Department. We have four staff involved in the teaching of AS/A-level Biology sharing a wealth of experience in all areas of the curriculum.

We currently run OCR Biology. 

Biology A level comprises of three modules in the Lower Sixth, which form an Advanced Subsidiary (AS) course. The course is designed to be accessible to a wide range of students, and will complement subjects such as Geography, Chemistry and Sport and Physical Education.

The AS-level work is then followed in the Upper Sixth course by a further three modules which form the A2 component of the A-level. These will be at a higher and more challenging level.

Biology A-Level

The content of the Biology course is wide ranging, covering aspects of processes in both plants and animals. There is a core content which is common to all A-level syllabuses, designed to give a good basis for study for students who wish to continue into higher education and the optional area of “Applications of Genetics” which we have chosen to follow.

 Practical work

Practical work is a key component of the teaching, since it aids understanding of key concepts in Biology and helps students to develop their practical skills. Experimental work will also be assessed in the AS and A2 course. The skills assessed are those which have been developed at GCSE - Planning, Implementing, Analysing and Evaluating. This is assessed in the form of a practical exam.