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Why study Biology?
Studying Biology teaches us to ask questions, make observations, evaluate evidence, and solve problems. Biologists learn how living things work, how they interact with one another, and how they evolve. They may study cells under a microscope, insects in a rainforest, viruses that affect human beings, plants in a greenhouse, or lions in the African grasslands. Their work increases our understanding about the natural world in which we live and helps us address issues of personal well being and worldwide concern, such as environmental depletion, threats to human health, and maintaining viable and abundant food supplies.
Catching butterflies... On the Madagascar Biology trip
Why study Biology at Wellington?
The biology department is housed within the Kent Building in the science area of the school and consists of seven large teaching labs and one teaching room with a Harkness table. There is a large prep room/meeting area, including a microbiology area and good storage provision. The department is also fortunate to have its own library and a greenhouse.
Excellent facilities exist for the teaching of the subject and there is a strong emphasis on practical studies. Teaching staff of nine are provided with strong support from a team of 3 part-time technicians. Projection and video facilities exist in every lab. Most of the labs are fitted with interactive white-boards.
The department makes good use of the extensive school grounds for field work. This involves woodland, pond and heathland studies. The grounds are home to over 100 uncommon flowering plants and contain a bog listed as a SSSI. The department has also run a number of recent overseas expeditions to such destinations as Zimbabwe, Sulawesi, Belize and Madagascar.
Next summer, 2012, the department are taking an exciting expedition to Honduras. This promises to be an excellent trip, with one week being spent in the Cloud rainforest, and a second week spent diving in a natural reef. This will be run by Operation Wallacea.
Biology is an extremely popular and successful subject within the school. All pupils take it as part of a balanced MYP programme of Science in Year 9. The department offers MYP and IGCSE courses. The decision currently stands as all sets will be entered for Triple Award Biology at IGCSE, though this is under review.
Biology is also a popular A level subject, offering the OCR syllabus and the IB Diploma at both Standard and Higher levels. The numbers are as follows:
LVI OCR:
LVI IB HL: SL:
UVI OCR:
UVI IB HL: SL:
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Sunset in the Shiant Isles |
Puffins |
Performance
At GCSE last year the department achieved 98% A's and A*'s.
Last year at AS level over 70% of students achieved an A or B grade and at A2 level 96.4% of students obtained an A or B grade, with a pass rate of 100%.
The average IB score was 5.8, with over 90% of pupils acheiveing levels 5 to 7, some of the highest results in the school.
Conclusion
The department holds a senior role in terms of its staff members and despite the wide range of experienced staff with additional responsibilities within the school, it has maintained itself as one of the largest and most successful departments in the college.
As a large department, it works hard to nurture a genuine enthusiasm in the students by incorporating a range of new and traditional teaching styles.
The aim of the supportive, challenging and convivial atmosphere that exists is to maintain the popularity of the subject whilst enabling each student to obtain the best results they possible can.