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Biology

Year 7

In Year 7, all students follow a Combined Science programme. Please see here for further information. 

Curriculum Content

Below is the curriculum content studied each term from Year 8 to 11.

In Years 8 & 9, Biology, Chemistry and Physics are taught as separate specialist subjects, with an hour a week timetabled to each. Students continue to study all three specialisms through to triple award GCSE at the end of Year 11.

At GCSE we study the AQA Biology Specification.

Year Group

Term 1

Term 2

 

Term 3

8

Gas exchange systems and cellular respiration

The skeletal and muscular systems

Relationships in an ecosystem

9

Photosynthesis

GCSE Cell biology

Infection and response

10

Organisation

Bioenergetics Variation and Ecology

11

Homeostasis

Inheritance and evolution and Humans effect on the environment

Revision and Exams

Students also have to complete 8 required practicals that may be assessed in detail in the exam. They are as follows:

RP1 - Microscopy

RP2 - Microbiology

RP3 - Osmosis

RP4 - Food Tests

RP5 - Enzymes

RP6 - Photosynthesis

RP7 - Reaction time

RP8 - Plant responses

RP9 - Sampling organisms

RP10 - Decay

GCSE Biology is examined as two separate papers, at the end of Year 11.

Paper
Length
Marks
Weighting
Content
1
1hr 45m 100 50% B1 - B4
2
1hr 45m 100 50% B5 - B7