 |
The Biology department consists of 7 teachers all with their own subject specialisms and 2 experienced technicians.
- Mrs Susanna Stuteley (Head of Biology) - Marine Biology and Zoology
- Mrs Ruth Betts - Ecology, Invertebrates, Physiology and Botany
- Ms Kate Fleming - Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Dr Jon Linklater - Evolutionary Biology
- Mr Rob McMillan (Head of Science)
- Mrs Susan Muswell - Agriculture and Food Production
- Ms Deborah Parren
What we do:
Biology in Years 7 and 8
Biology is integrated in the Year 7 course and is taught as Science. In Year 8 students are taught separate sciences by subject specialists. This course has a healthy balance between plant, microbe and human biology with a high proportion of practical and skills-based activities.
International GCSE Science Dual Award (Years 9-11)
At North London we adopt the more rigorous and challenging Edexcel IGCSE . The course provides an exciting, challenging and detailed introduction to a wide range of Biological topics. A range of basic biology topics are taught over three years in preparation for terminal examinations in Year 11. Both theoretical and experimental concepts are taught throughout the course through the regular undertaking of practical work in class. In order to prepare for the ecology topics taught, there are also visits to Epping Forest Field Centre for all pupils taking the IGCSE. We consider this course to be an excellent preparation for A level, allowing us much greater scope to explore topics in depth during the 6th form.
The Sixth Form
Around 60 students in total take Biology with a large proportion opting for the A Level course over the IB course.
A Level OCR Biology
At A level, we follow the OCR GCE AS and A2 courses (H021, H421). Since we do not sit exams in January, we are able to restructure the course so as to deliver material in the most stimulating and educationally sensible way. In both years, girls have two teachers who will cover different areas of the syllabus. This provides greater variety and prevents a loss of context, especially when dealing with the more abstract topics. The A2 course builds on the foundations of AS and includes exciting and innovative practical exercises in biotechnology and the manipulation of DNA in our superbly equipped laboratories.
The International Baccalaureate
In the Sixth Form, students study the IB at either Higher or Standard Level. The IB courses have recently been revised and give students the opportunity to study up-to-date biology in some considerable depth. Both SL and HL courses share a common core, with extension material for the HL students. All IB students must carry out practical work and experiments as part of their course and, in addition, take part in the Group IV Project when they work as a team with students from other science departments. Some students chose to write their IB Extended Essay in Biology. The Extended Essay provides the opportunity to carry out research on a topic of the student's choosing and investigate the wider implications of their work. Many of our students go on to study Medicine, Natural Sciences and Biological Sciences at University. Some of the interesting projects students have chosen recently include:
- The effects of caffeine on the growth of plants.
- The effects of pre-training exercise on the recovery times after a period of exercise.
- How effective are surface cleaning products in preventing E-coli?
Extra Curricular Activities
FieldTrips
The Biology Department regularly takes short field trips to local sites during the Summer Term such as to Epping Forest Field Centre (Year 10), Amersham Field Centre (Year 12 IB) and a 3 day residential to Flatford Mill, Suffolk (Year 12, A Level). Students carry out investigations in both terrestrial and aquatic ecology to enhance their practical skills and gain a wider appreciation for conservation. For students studying the IB course the data collected on the fieldtrip will comprise of a practical write up which will form part of the internal assessment. A Level students will use the residential trip as a basis to gain necessary practical skills in the first two days and then complete one set of the A2 practical assessment tasks.
Science Live Lectures
This year the Biology Department took 30 GCSE students to the Science Live lectures in Oxford's New Theatre. This comprised a day of talks specifically aimed at inspiring and enthusing GCSE pupils to continue with sciences to AS and A level.
The event provided pupils with the opportunity to listen to six of Britain's top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms. Some presentations demonstrated that science does offer real solutions for many of the world's great problems. The speakers were carefully chosen for their ability to communicate with students of this age group in a direct and exciting way.
Speakers included Professor Steve Jones, Professor Richard Dawkins, Dr Ben Goldacre, Dr Kate Lancaster amongst many other famous scientists.
Science Society
Science Society is one of the largest societies at NLCS and is extremely active within the school. They are responsible for promoting science and organising activities throughout the school. Our Year 12 girls run a Biology Club for years 7 and 8, where exciting experiments are carried out. In the summer term this extends into the school grounds, which has a variety of habitats, including a summer flower meadow, woodland and a large pond. Science Society are also responsible for inviting in guest speakers to give lectures during our Senior Societies. Our most notable this year has been Professor Lord Robert Winston who gave an inspirational talk which explored human fertility, developments in reproductive biology and addressed the wider implications of these scientific advances. The talk was intellectually stimulating and encouraged the girls to make links between new scientific discoveries and their effects on society. Science Society were also heavily involved in the running of Science and Maths week which proved a great success and promoted great excitement about the sciences and a wonderful array of posters and projects were produced for the Science Fair.
Enrichment
The Biology Department runs two enrichment sessions a week which take place on Wednesday afternoons. One session is aimed at potential Medics and the other at Natural Scientists. The aim of these sessions is to take students beyond the curriculum, inspire a passion for the subject and to challenge understanding. It is crucial for students to develop confidence in communicating scientific ideas and think independently for themselves so they can excel in an interview situation.
British Biology Olympiad (BBO)
The British Biology Olympiad is a competition to extend and reward the best all round young biologists in the country and to select a team to represent the United Kingdom at the International Biology Olympiad each year. The department selects Year 13 students in the autumn term to represent the school in the BBO competition, held in February each year, with the possibility of attending the international final held in one of the five continents annually.
Each year there is also an award ceremony, where those who do well are presented with medals after a lecture is given by a distinguished speaker. This year Professor Steve Jones will be awarding the winners with their medals.
In the first week of February students studying the A Level or the IB Course will take a two hour theory paper, consisting of multiple choice and short answer questions. The highest scoring students from the first round are invited to take an additional theory paper. This year we celebrated much success with 1 Gold Medal, 2 Silver Medals, 2 Bronze Medals and 2 Highly Commended.
Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries
The Nuffield Foundation offers up to 1000 bursaries a year, for students to work alongside practising scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. Projects take place during the summer holidays, giving students an insight into the world of scientific research and development. At NLCS we positively encourage girls to apply for these summer bursaries and over the years have had many successful students who have gained valuable scientific experience in the field. This year one of our students Mayu Teranaka worked as part of a team, researching limb development and won a Platinum Award for her project.
Peterhouse Essay Competition
Peterhouse organises three essay contests for Year 12 students. These are the Vellacott History Prize, Kelvin Science Prize and Thomas Campion English Prize. The prizes provide opportunities for sixth-form students to attempt the type of work they would experience at university and to have it assessed by members of the teaching staff at Peterhouse. Prizes of up to £500 are awarded for the best essays.
The prizes have the following aims:
- To give students in Year 12 who are considering applying to university an opportunity to write about a subject in which they are personally interested, developing and experiencing the independent study skills which they will need in order to do well at A-level and university.
- To support teachers by providing challenging extension work for talented students and by giving those students their first contact with Higher Education.
- To encourage high-flying students to consider applying to Cambridge by giving them a taste of the type of work they would experience here.
- To recognise the achievement and effort of the best of these students through prizes and commendations and to give them the opportunity of receiving feed-back from leading scientists, historians and English specialists.
BA - CREST Award
CREST (Creativity in Science and Technology) is a prestigious national award organised through theBritish Association for the Advancement of Science. The department offers the opportunity for students to get involved in the CREST Awards dependent on their age and entry level.
CREST is a nationally recognized accreditation scheme for project work in the fields of science and technology under the auspices of the British association for the Advancement of Science. Through a mentoring system, the scheme facilitates links between schools and industry or higher education and enables students of all abilities to explore real scientific, engineering and technological problems for themselves and promotes work-related learning. BA CREST awards are available in two subject areas - science or technology - at three levels:
Bronze
- 10 hours of project work
- Typically for ages 11-14
Silver
- 40 hours of project work
- Typically for students aged 14-16
- Links with industry encouraged
Gold
- 100 hours of project work
- Typically for students aged 16 +
- Students linked with mentor from industry or higher education