Biology

Course summary

All exams are now sat at the end of the 2-year A-level course, so the students don’t have interruption in their learning, to do AS exams. Practical exams have gone, swallowed up into the ordinary theory exams, with an added certificate of endorsement of practical skills from the teacher. This frees up more time for teaching, as there is no longer any coursework/ISA to prepare for. It is possible to stop after 1 year and sit the AS exams instead, as the content is the same as the first year of the A-Level. Subject content included for both AS and the full A-level qualification: • Biological molecules • Cells • Organisms exchange substances with their environment • Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms And for A-level only: • Energy transfers in and between organisms • Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments • Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems • The control of gene expression The course has a logical sequence but leaves much of the detail to the discretion of the teachers. This, added to the extra time available (due to not stopping half-way through to revise for AS papers) allows for both a more relaxed and more in-depth experience for the students.