Biology

Course summary

The A Level Biology course aims to lay theoretical foundations for students to pursue the subject at the highest level and develop into leaders in the field. An extensive and in-depth practical course designed to develop key laboratory skills from dissection of specimens to molecular techniques. The skills are taught with a focus on data analysis and experimental design ensuring students are more than ready to take the next step on a Biological degree. In addition, the course develops key transferrable skills that are hugely sought after by employers in many professions including: problem solving, with an emphasis on applying numerous unifying patterns and themes in Biology to unfamiliar contexts; critical thinking, through data analysis and evaluation in which students are required to critically analyse data from experimental scenarios; abstract thinking, through the application of theoretical concepts in graphical forms and in examples requiring deduction; and communication skills, through the teaching of concise and precise language to explain complex concepts in the clearest manner possible. The course also develops an appreciation of current scientific issues facing society such as the impact the human population is having on the environment and the emergence of new genetic technologies. Students are encouraged to reflect on these and will leave as scientifically literate citizens, ready to engage with some of the most exciting and important decisions of our time.