BIOLOGY
Aims The core aim of Biology is to foster lifelong curiosity about the living world . More specifically , the course seeks to broaden and deepen knowledge and understanding of key biological concepts , applicable to everyday life and further study . It is also concerned with the development of transferable scientific skills , including creativity required for practical design , hands-on practical competence , IT proficiency for data presentation and analysis and critical evaluative abilities .
Skills Biology is not just about learning a list of scientific terms , as we feel there now needs to be a greater emphasis on problem solving and application of scientific principles . We believe that practical skills are key to the development of a good biologist so that students can understand how experiments are designed ; this includes the need to collect sufficient , relevant data to allow for meaningful analysis and critical evaluation of their findings . The ability to use the scientific method to solve problems and answer questions is essential in developing investigation skills and stimulating interest in the subject .
Content The Biology IGCSE course is taught over three years . Topics covered include the nature and variety of living organisms , structure and function of living organisms , reproduction and inheritance , ecology and the environment and genetic modifications . Practical skills are vital in aiding the development in the analysis and critical understanding of Biology and we enrich the syllabus beyond the scope of the written curriculum . In Years 9 and 10 , students carry out practical investigations where we look to develop aspects of the design , presentation of data and use of Excel for data tables and graph design ; this includes analysis and evaluation of data so that by the time they enter the Sixth Form to study the IB , they are more familiar with the needs for internal assessment .
Enrichment In Year 10 each student will take the Biology Challenge , which is a national competition set by the Institute of Biology ; students will gain certification levels of Gold , Silver , Bronze , Highly Commended or Commended , based on their biological knowledge . Also in Year 10 , students visit London for a day of interactive talks and demonstrations , highlighting cutting-edge research across the sciences .
Throughout the year guest speakers visit the school to talk on a variety of topics such as research into multi-resistant TB in sub-Saharan Africa , or the impacts of microplastics in our oceans .
50 THE MIDDLE SCHOOL | AT SEVENOAKS