GCSE Biology

This specification aims to encourage you to: 

• develop your knowledge and understanding of biology; 

• develop your understanding of the effects of biology on society; 

• develop an understanding of the importance of scale in biology; 

• develop and apply your knowledge and understanding of the nature of science and of the scientific process; 

• develop your understanding of the relationships between hypotheses, evidence, theories and explanations; • develop your awareness of risk and the ability to assess potential risk in the context of potential benefits;

• develop and apply your observational, practical, modelling, enquiry and problemsolving skills and understanding in laboratory, field and other learning environments. 

This specification is designed to promote continuity, coherence and progression within the study of Science.

It builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed within the KS3 programme.

Students who take this course should find that it helps to facilitate the study of Science and Biology to AS and Advanced level.

For entry into the Triple Award Science course students must have an excellent record in both Science and Maths by the end of

Year 10. You must study all three strands of Science and so GCSE Chemistry and Physics must also be taken alongside this course.

Students may occasionally be selected to study Triple Award Science which follows a similar but more in depth specification to Double Award and is aimed at students that would be committed to continuing with A-Level Sciences.

Triple Award Science will lead to three separate GCSE grades.

Unit 1: Cells, Living Processes and Biodiversity - External written examination.

Students answer compulsory structured questions that require short responses, extended writing and calculations. 

Foundation Tier: 1 hour 15 mins Higher Tier: 1 hour 15 mins

Unit 2: Body Systems, Genetics, Microorganisms and Health - Externally written examination.

Students answer compulsory structured questions that require short responses, extended writing and calculations. 

Foundation Tier: 1 hour 30 mins Higher Tier: 1 hour 30 mins

Unit 3: Practical skills 

Booklet A: Students carry out two externally marked pre-release practicals in the final year of study. 

2 hours for Foundation and Higher Tier Between 1 January and 1 May each year (beginning in 2019)

Booklet B: External written examination. Students answer compulsory structured questions that require short responses, extended writing and calculations, all set in a practical context. 

There are two tiers of entry Foundation Tier: 1 hour Higher Tier: 1 hour 

The specification has three units with one taken in Year 11 and two taken in Year 12: 

Progression Routes - After studying this course you may go on to study either A-Level Biology or Applied Science.

You can progress into careers such as, Medicine, Food Science, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Agricultural Science, Engineering and IT.

If you choose Double Award Science, you may have the opportunity to take part in the following activities;

• NI Science Festival activities

• Chemistry at Work workshop at Queen's University Belfast

• Tyndall Physics Lecture at Queens

• STEM bus - Forensic Science

• STEM bus - Biology workshop

• CREST awards

• Experiments

• Field Trips