Biology A Level

Applicants will only be considered once all the application information has been completed including predicted and/or actual grades and references.

Applicants with non-UK qualifications, for example, overseas qualifications, will be required to have the equivalence of their qualifications verified by UK ENIC (the wider European title for national recognition agencies www.enic.org.uk) who will charge the you a fee for providing this ‘Statement of Comparability’. If you are unable to gain a Statement of Comparability, we reserve the right to withdraw your application due to the lack of comparable grade evidence. We are required to ensure that students are eligible for ESFA funding, which is guaranteed if they are living with a parent who: Has British citizenship and/or; Has a right of abode/leave to enter the UK and/or; Has a relevant work permit/visa and/or; Is a foreign diplomat.

Please provide any outstanding documentary evidence in relation to the above. Applications from students who are not eligible for ESFA funding will have their application withdrawn by the school. The school does not hold a licence to support applicants with Home Office Tier 4 Student Visa status.

Why study Biology?

In Biology you will develop practical skills by planning experiments, collecting data, analysing experimental results and making conclusions. You will also learn how scientific models are developed, the applications and implications of science, the benefits and risks that science brings and the ways in which society uses science to make decisions. Biology is a science at the forefront of some of the most exciting and controversial issues in the news today. Current publicity surrounding genetic engineering, environmental and medical developments have highlighted the need for an understanding of such issues. Biology seeks to explore these areas of study to provide an appreciation of the living world.

What does the course involve?

Module 1: Development of practical skills in biology: skills of planning, implementing, analysis and evaluation.

Module 2: Foundations in biology: cell structure and membranes; biological molecules; DNA; cell division, diversity and organisation.

Module 3: Exchange and transport: exchange surfaces; transport in animals; transport in plants.

Module 4: Biodiversity: evolution and disease; communicable diseases and prevention; immune system; biodiversity; classification and evolution.

Module 5: Communication, homeostasis and energy: communication and homeostasis; excretion; neuronal communication; hormonal communication; plant and animal responses; photosynthesis; respiration.

Module 6: Genetics, evolution and ecosystems; cellular control; patterns of inheritance; manipulating genomes; cloning and biotechnology; ecosystems; populations and sustainability.

How will I be assessed?

There are 3 papers plus a practical endorsement.

To qualify for a place in Sixth Form, you must achieve five GCSEs at grade 5 or above, including Maths and either English Language or Literature or five GCSEs at grade 5 or above, plus at least a grade 4 in Maths and English Language or literature. For this course: GCSE grade 7 in Biology and 6 in Maths, 7-7 for Combined Science students and 6 in Maths

Leading To A Career In?

Undergraduate degree courses: Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Life Sciences, Forensic Science, Physiotherapy, Veterinary medicine, Biochemistry, Paramedical work, Nutrition, Ecology, Biology, Marine Biology, Sport Science, Food Science, Environmental Monitoring and the expanding field of Microbiology and Biotechnology.

There are also numerous career paths that will utilise the knowledge and skills gained at ‘A’ Level Biology.