Chelmsford County High School for Girls
A foundation grammar school and specialist college
Subjects
Biology
Key Stage 3
Year 7: Students are introduced to the wide area of Biology. They find out about variation in living organisms, investigate the characteristics of vertebrates and learn about plant reproduction. The year includes a field visit to Hanningfield Reservoir Wildlife Centre.
Year 8: The focus is on microbes, food & energy, and the digestive system. Students also investigate some of the ways that living organisms are adapted to their habitats.
Year 9: The year begins with photosynthesis, followed by respiration, genetics, the circulatory system and the environment. There is also a challenging unit on the ethical responsibility of the biologist which looks at moral dilemmas such as genetic engineering.
GCSE
The OCR syllabus is the basis for a wide range of studies which include cell structure, transport, homeostasis, evolution and human physiology.
The emphasis is very much on the students acquiring a sound factual base which can be applied to new situations, as well as learning to employ the correct biological terminology.
Coursework involves practical investigations which allow students to plan their work and analyse the results.
Sixth Form
Because the area of Biology is so vast, diverse and ever-changing, a major aim of the AS and A2 level course is to provide students with the skills to differentiate between the important and not so important facts, to be able to place these facts on a sound foundation of principles and to be clear about the applications such facts may have in the wider world.
The course is modular, involving a high degree of practical work that is carried out individually or in small groups.