Biology
Exam board: AQA
Course code: 8461
For further information, please contact Mrs K Crowe: [email protected]
This GCSE has a strong academic core which covers all the major concepts in Biology. It provides an excellent foundation for further study in Biology, requiring the students to develop the ability to describe accurately a range of processes and concepts using the correct technical terminology. The course also caters for those for whom this will be their highest qualification in Biology, as it challenges the students to develop a holistic overview of the Biosphere and our role within it.
Wherever possible students carry out practical work to help develop their understanding of key concepts and to see for themselves some of the biological structures and processes that they are studying. Students are encouraged to think critically about what they are studying and to question its implications for some of the environmental and social issues that we face.
Subject Content
The topics that will be studied at GCSE are:
- Cell biology
- Organisation
- Infection and response
- Bioenergetics
- Homeostasis and response
- Inheritance, variation and evolution
- Ecology
Course Assessment
Paper 1
What is assessed: Topics 1 - 4: cell biology; organisation; infection and response and bioenergetics.
How it is assessed: Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes; foundation or higher tier; 100 marks; 50% of GCSE.
Questions: Multiple choice; structured; closed short answer and open response.
Paper 2
What is assessed: Topics 5 - 7: homeostasis and response; inheritance; variation and evolution and ecology.
How it is assessed: Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes; foundation or higher tier; 100 marks; 50% of GCSE.
Questions: Multiple choice; structured; closed short answer and open response.
Higher Education and Careers
STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) have always been a core part of the UK’s success in international markets. The range of opportunities for a good biologist include ecology, genetics, pharmaceuticals, health care, sports science, medicine, bioengineering, agriculture and land based studies, hydrology and marine biology.
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