Biology at Blundell's

The Biology department is housed in a self-contained block in the south-west corner of the campus. It has four laboratories, a Sixth Form teaching room and a preparation room.

The Biology Department
The department is particularly well resourced with technological equipment. We have a large range of microscopes, including video microscopes, binocular microscopes and a flexicam. Multimedia projectors enable us to display biological images, video clips and animations to whole classes. Our wide range of practical equipment enables students to undertake many stimulating experiments. A grant a few years ago from the Wolfson Foundation enabled the purchase of some sophisticated equipment for DNA technology practicals. We can demonstrate techniques that are usually only taught theoretically. The department is fully wireless networked, and ICT is regularly used as a teaching and learning resource.
There are six teachers in the department, plus a full-time lab technician.
The aims of the biology department are to:
- Enable students to gain knowledge and understanding of the facts and concepts that underpin Biology.
- Help students to develop their intellectual and practical skills. This includes:
- Handling apparatus, making measurements and observations
- Working accurately, carefully and safely
- Planning, implementing and evaluating investigations
- Recording and reporting accurately
- Interpreting data
- Researching and being able to judge different viewpoints by relating them to the available evidence
- Using ICT appropriately to aid their understanding, report writing and data presentation
- Allow students to develop an awareness of the place of Biology in
society, including moral, social and economic implications.
- Give students opportunities to practise and develop cross-curricular skills such as numeracy and literacy.
Some useful websites
- http://www.aqa.org.uk – Our A Level and GCSE exam board’s website
- http://www.biologymad.com – A revision resource for A Level Biology students
- http://www.biotopics.co.uk – A web site developed to support the study of Biology in schools at all levels
- http://www.ibiblio.org/virtualcell/index.htm – An interactive cell biology site
- http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG – A web site showing illustrations of many processes of biotechnology
- http://www.uq.oz.au/nanoworld – Visit the world of electron-microscopy
- http://www.dnai.org/a/index.html – Explore the genetic code
- http://www.mrothery.co.uk – notes and information on A Level Biology
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa/ – the BBC bitesize website has published revision resources for GCSE Science
- http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/ – An online textbook
- http://www.s-cool.co.uk/ – A revision web site
- http://www.biologyguide.net/ – Website designed for A-Level Biology and Human Biology students. The focus of this website is on revision notes, which are assorted by each section found in the AQA Human Biology guidelines.
- http://nobelprize.org – Details of the history of the best scientific discoveries
- http://nature.com – The site of the scientific journal
- http://royalsociety.org – Podcasts, news and interviews with scientists about recent scientific developments
- http://www.nhm.ac.uk – The London Natural History Museum’s website with lots of interesting educational material
- http://www.bmj.com – The website of the British Medical Journal
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment – The BBC news page for Science and the Environment








