Biology
Biology is the study of life. Life occurs in so many different forms, from microscopic bacteria, some of which are essential to life on earth and others which can destroy that same life, to the producers ranging from mosses and liverworts to apple trees, from food spoiling moulds to the life saving fungus, Penicillium notatum, and from bumble bees to the most complex of all, the human being.

We aim to encourage students to develop an interest in all these life forms and to understand how they all fit together as life on Earth. We are lucky enough to have extensive and biologically diverse grounds around the school which form our outside classroom.

Processes of life include respiration and photosynthesis and we consider these at all levels from simple experiments investigating the conditions needed, to the complex biochemistry involved in the processes.

Biology is at the forefront of many modern technologies, including genetic engineering, cloning and embryo screening. We feel it is important that students are able to make informed decisions about these as many of them will have a direct effect on their own lives, and so we encourage children to consider pros and cons in their evaluation. ‘Human barometers’ are part of this process.

At Kingswood, our emphasis is about bringing the subject to life by giving pupils the opportunity to learn by carrying out experiments, making observations and then drawing conclusions. These experiences range from using microscopes, investigating the effect of weedkillers on cress seedlings in Year 9, experiments with enzymes in Year 10, culturing micro-organisms in Year 11 to thin layer chromatography and heart dissections in the Sixth form. Whatever the level, students are encouraged to plan fair tests, record reliable, precise results and then to critically evaluate what they have done suggesting improvements for next time.
We are very well resourced with three modern laboratories stocked with the usual range of equipment and lots more including: in situ flexi-cameras to record live experiments, a spirometer, electrophoresis kits and data logging materials. We have lots of living specimens on view including stick insects, African clawed toads and a wide range of plants, including bottle gardens. A group of students help us to look after these. We also have a Resources Room for our Sixth Form students in which they may spend time reading around the subject to develop their own ideas.

Aside from their classroom studies, Year 9 and 10 pupils take part in the Biology Challenge which is a national competition. A number of our students have been awarded gold, silver and bronze certificates. The U6 can get involved in the Biology Olympiad which is designed to really stretch and challenge even the most able.

• We run a number of Ecology trips because we feel it is important to gain first hand experience of species in their natural environments so that pupils can develop a passion to conserve life on earth.

• We take all Year 9 students to a rocky shore for the day and investigate the abundance and distribution of various seaweed and animal species, calculate height to width ratios in limpets, measure growth rate in knotted wrack, not to mention the highlight of the trip which is sexing crabs (a vital life skill!)

• The U6 Biologists go on a residential field trip to study sand dune succession, trophic levels and feeding niche as well as various field work techniques including statistical methods.

• We organise speakers to give presentations to certain year groups as appropriate.

Eco-Schools is run by a member of the Biology Department. We encourage students to think about the need for us all to be more sustainable and how we can achieve that at individual, local, national and international levels. We try to lead by example; sustainability issues forms part of our department development plan.

As Biologists, we recognise that we are all different as a result of our unique DNA and, as such, we tailor classroom resources and revision materials to each individual as far as possible. We use a number of different teaching styles in lessons, aimed at the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learner, as well as having teacher led, pair and group work activities, practical tasks and ICT based assignments. We have developed a number of ‘Assessment for Learning’ revision materials and encourage pupils to develop appropriates revision strategies that work for them.

Before you come and visit us at Kingswood we would like to leave you with a few ideas to think about:

• ‘People are DNA's way of making more DNA’

          Edward O. Wilson, 1975

• ‘If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.’
  
  Lyall Watson

• ‘Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway.’
  
  Mary Kay Ash

Mrs Jenny Opie (Head of Biology) jro@kingswood.bath.sch.uk