Biology

Course summary

At A-Level we follow the OCR Biology A H420 specification. The A-Level course is designed to be stimulating and hands on, whilst developing the scholarship and resilience to absorb and interpret unfamiliar data and to critique methodology and sources, essential skills for life beyond school and A-Levels. During the two-year course pupils compile a practical laboratory book and this forms the basis of their practical assessment, with the A-Level grade being determined by three external exams at the end of the Upper 6. In June, all pupils are expected to attend a day of field studies in coastal sand dunes where they conduct coursework that will form part of their lab books and give them first-hand knowledge of a range of ecosystems. There are 7 forty-minute periods of Biology each week, taught in mixed ability groups, in a combination of single and double periods.