Biology is taught as a subject in its own right, by specialist teachers, from the moment the pupil enters the Senior School. However, the three sciences coordinate the teaching of common skills to ensure that the underlying principle of the importance of empirical evidence in the development of scientific theories is stressed.
In UIII (Year 7) and LIV (Year 8) the emphasis is on developing skills, confidence in the laboratory and a love of the subject. In the first half term the pupils will all have learnt to use a microscope and will have used it to look at their own cells. Over the two years, the pupils learn about the five kingdom classification system and study representative organisms. In UIII (Year 7), they grow bacteria on agar plates, look at Amoeba and Volvox and investigate bread dough rising due to the action of yeast. In LIV (Year 8) the emphasis is on the plant and animal kingdom including the reproductive systems and transport systems. Pupils have plenty of opportunity to use creative skills producing posters, cartoons and models.
In UIV (Year 9) pupils are put into smaller groups and are set across the three sciences; they begin to study the edexcel International GCSE course. Science is a core curriculum subject for GCSE allocated nine teaching periods per week: three periods in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics leading to either 3 Separate Science GCSEs or to Double Award Science; the decision being made following LV internal examinations. Pupils are able to proceed to A level or IB Biology from either route.
For current UV: http://www.wjec.co.uk/uploads/publications/6357.pdf
Biology specification: http://www.edexcel.com/quals/igcse/igcse09/biology/biology/Pages/default.aspx
Double Award specification: http://www.edexcel.com/quals/igcse/igcse09/science/Pages/default.aspx