Yr11/12 Biology Transition

Step up to A level

Work your way through these Biology GCSE Essentials so that you are in a great positin to start your A level studies.

Aim to complete one topic a week starting with cells all the way to transport in plants and circulation and ventilation in animals. 

Essential Knowledge!

These are the topics that we consider essential for you to have mastered in preparation for you to be a brilliant A level biologist

Biology websites to explore

Videos are also a really good way of helping you get to grips with a topic. Here are some of our favourites:

• • SnapRevise- videos are free on YouTube and if you like these you can subscribe to the programme

  • Mr W's Science Music Videos- catchy tunes to help you remember 

  • Crash Course- over the top presentation but fab science

  • Amoeba Sisters - another really good site 

  • Ted Ed Biology - not A level specific but some really interesting short, sharp videos

  • And if you really love science then take your pick from Ted Talks

Test yourself with some exam questions- GCSE and A level here

• • Physics and Maths Tutor have lots of exam questions . Sort by topic and why not try questions from a different exam board....after all....it's all biology! And if you have mastered the GCSE questions try some A level questions for each topic- you may suprise yourslef with how much you can answer

  • Maths Made Easy also has a selection of exam questions and study resources- dip into the A level questions and see how you get on

  • And Revision Science is good for filling those gaps- and this site has A level too- take a look

Take a short course and learn something new

• • FutureLearn Schools has 100s of free courses

  • Coursera gives you acess to courses from around the world

  • Open Learn also has lots of free course for you to try

Biology books to read

• The course text book OCR AS/A level Biology A Student Book 1 , published by Pearson, ISBN: 9781447990796 

• For general A level biology reading Advanced Biology: Principles and Applications Clegg and MacKean ISBN: 9780719576706 

• CPG revision guides will be available to order for the science department in the autumn term. We recommend A-Level Biology: OCR A Year 1 & 2 Complete Revision & Practice ISBN: 9781789080353 

• You may aslo like CPG A-Level Biology: Essential Maths Skills ISBN: 9781847623232 

• To bridge the gap between GCSE and A level try CPG Head Start to A-level Biology ISBN: 9781782942795 

• And keep your GCSE text books and revision guides- lots of what you cover at A level builds upon prior GCSE knowledge and these text books are an excellent way of filling gaps in your knowledge

Useful A Level biology resources

At Sir Isaac Newton we follow OCR Biology A- you can read the specification here. Also take a look at these resources so that you are prepared for what lies ahead:

• • Drawing skills for biology

  • Rules for drawing from a  microscope

  • Practical skills handbook for biologists

  • Drawing graphs and tables for biology

  • Maths for biologists

  • Statistics for biologists