Introduction
Whether it is looking at your skin cells down a microscope, or investigating the plants on the school’s front lawn, Biology is the study of life.
Biologists learn about humans and the other organisms on Earth. Natural curiosity can be rewarded with a deeper understanding of nature.
In the Biology Department, we aim to foster enthusiasm for the subject in our students, as well as developing the practical skills relevant to Biology in the 21st century.
GCSE
Biology can be studied for a full GCSE or as part of the Double Award Science qualification. For both, we try to ensure that students experience lots of experiments, as well as learning from activities that develop skills like problem solving, interpretation of data and analysis.
During Year 11 everyone learns more about using a microscope to look at cells, both plant and animal and in the summer term to explore the microscopic organisms found in a pond. We study the circulation of blood in the body and learn what plants do with all that water they take in (an oak tree can absorb up to 500 litres in a day). We will do local ecology studies and find out that there is more than grass under your feet when you walk across the school lawn.
In Year 12, we study how useful bacteria can be, as well as the diseases they cause and how we overcome them. We will also discover the secret of all life, the nature of DNA and genes.
AS Level
The AS Biology course currently involves studying some of the topics encountered at GCSE to a greater depth, such as Cells, Enzymes and Animal & Plant Physiology. Other topics, such as Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering will be less familiar at the start but provide opportunities for challenging thinking. Pupils studying at this level also attend a residential field trip, to see at first hand some of the common habitats found in Northern Ireland, including seashores, sand dunes and woodlands.
A2 Level
The A2 Biology course currently involves a detailed study of topics such as Genetics, Cellular Biochemistry, the Nervous and Hormonal Systems of Animals and Community Ecology. At this level, pupils are encouraged to make more links between different areas of biology and to understand some of the concepts which run through the study of organisms as diverse as the flatworm and the daffodil.
Whether it is looking at your skin cells down a microscope, or investigating the plants on the school’s front lawn, Biology is the study of life.
Biologists learn about humans and the other organisms on Earth. Natural curiosity can be rewarded with a deeper understanding of nature.
In the Biology Department, we aim to foster enthusiasm for the subject in our students, as well as developing the practical skills relevant to Biology in the 21st century.
GCSE
Biology can be studied for a full GCSE or as part of the Double Award Science qualification. For both, we try to ensure that students experience lots of experiments, as well as learning from activities that develop skills like problem solving, interpretation of data and analysis.
During Year 11 everyone learns more about using a microscope to look at cells, both plant and animal and in the summer term to explore the microscopic organisms found in a pond. We study the circulation of blood in the body and learn what plants do with all that water they take in (an oak tree can absorb up to 500 litres in a day). We will do local ecology studies and find out that there is more than grass under your feet when you walk across the school lawn.
In Year 12, we study how useful bacteria can be, as well as the diseases they cause and how we overcome them. We will also discover the secret of all life, the nature of DNA and genes.
AS Level
The AS Biology course currently involves studying some of the topics encountered at GCSE to a greater depth, such as Cells, Enzymes and Animal & Plant Physiology. Other topics, such as Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering will be less familiar at the start but provide opportunities for challenging thinking. Pupils studying at this level also attend a residential field trip, to see at first hand some of the common habitats found in Northern Ireland, including seashores, sand dunes and woodlands.
A2 Level
The A2 Biology course currently involves a detailed study of topics such as Genetics, Cellular Biochemistry, the Nervous and Hormonal Systems of Animals and Community Ecology. At this level, pupils are encouraged to make more links between different areas of biology and to understand some of the concepts which run through the study of organisms as diverse as the flatworm and the daffodil.