BIOLOGY

AS and A2 Teaching Schemes

Introduction

The new OCR course commences in 2008. It follows on well from the Edexcel GCSE course currently being followed at LSS but also ensures that any AS students new to the school are able to follow the material and its format effectively. It is demanding enough for students wishing to continue on to study biologically based subjects at University but is still an excellent choice of subject for those who wish to just study to AS or A level.

Timetabling

Students will have six periods of Biology. We aim to include as much practical work as possible to reinforce student understanding and learning. To cover the ecology content of the biology A level course we run a residential field trip.

Teaching and Learning

All students in year 12 are issued with an induction booklet which informs them about what the teaching staff will expect from them and what they can expect from us. This is of particular benefit to students who are new to the school. Various sources of information are included in order to encourage private study and a copy of the complete specification is provided. Most work will be completed on file paper or worksheets which will be placed into the students’ files. The students are responsible for the maintenance of their Biology files but teaching staff will periodically inspect them to ensure that private study and the rewriting of notes etc is being done.

Students are provided with past exam papers and these can also be downloaded from the OCR website.

Assessment

Common end of section tests will be used to assess student progress. Mock exams will either be held during the School’s internal examination season or at the end of the relevant module of study. A common mark book will be held on the School’s admin. Network. This should hopefully help the teaching staff to communicate and assess students more easily. All end of section test and mock exam marks are also passed onto the Head of Biology.

Students sit the first AS unit exam in January and remaining assessment is in the summer term. A2 students will also sit their first unit exam in January again with remaining assessment in the summer term. Resits are allowed during the spring and summer examination periods following discussion with the Head of Biology.

Coursework is a compulsory component of both the AS and A2 course. Coursework involves the completion of three tasks set by OCR; tasks are slotted into the AS and A2 course where they complement the course content.  The coursework is marked by the teaching staff and internally moderated before external moderation occurs.

Careers

An Advanced Level qualification in Biology provides entry to careers which include medicine and related disciplines, ecology, environmental science, forensic science. Biotechnology and many more. Moreover, Biology is a very useful subject to study for other careers not directly linked to science such as law.

We look forward to welcoming you into the Biology Department.