KS5 Biology

A Level Biology

For Biology, we will achieve this by ensuring:

That all UTC Leeds students are able to ask the right questions, analyse and evaluate information, and be able to form and justify their own opinions based on scientific principles.

Overview

Our Biology curriculum is broken down into ‘non-negotiables’ – the vital areas that a student needs to master in that subject. These non-negotiables underpin the learning throughout the duration of the study and our students understand that after developing competency in each strand, they will aim to develop mastery in each. The learning is coherently sequenced across the 4-year plan and mapped cross-curricular, and our sequence of learning plans specifies which non-negotiables are the learning foci and/or the knowledge that students will gain.

Exam board: AQA

Students will cover the following topics:

Year 12

Biological Models
Cells
Organisms exchange substances with their environment
Genetic information, variation and relationships between organisms•

Year 13

Energy transfers in and between organisms (A-level only)
Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments (A-level only)
Genetics, populations, evolution and ecosystems (A-level only)
The control of gene expression (A-level only)

A separate endorsement of practical skills will be taken alongside the A-level. This will be assessed by teachers and will be based on direct observation of students’ competency in a range of skills that are not assessable in written exams.