Face-to-face CPD
Essential AQA A Level Biology - New to Teaching
A resource and advice-packed CPD course for all non-specialist and/or those new to teaching AQA A-Level Biology.
Overview
- Format
- Face-to-face CPD
- Series
- Essential
- Duration
- 1 day (10am to 3.15pm)
- Price
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£315.00 inc VAT
- Audience
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All non-specialist, early career or inexperienced teachers delivering the AQA A-Level Biology Specification
Upcoming dates
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Friday July 4th 2025
London - The Clermont Hotel (Charing Cross)
£315.00 inc VAT -
Thursday September 25th 2025
London - The Clermont Hotel (Charing Cross)
£315.00 inc VAT
About the course
A-Level Biology is one of the top choices of A-Level but it is also one of the hardest. This course provides a comprehensive guide to the basics of teaching A-Level Biology. The aim is to build your confidence, boost your knowledge, and support your delivery and assessment. The course will look at the demands of the different question-types and how students are assessed and advise you on how to most effectively deliver the curriculum content.
What we'll cover
- In this session we’ll take a look at the three different A-Level exam papers, the learning outcomes and how to develop your teaching style to incorporate the different assessment objectives
- Explain how Maths is assessed and can be integrated into the general course teaching
- Discuss how practical skills are assessed and are vital to all abilities reaching their potential grade
- We will start with an introduction into the language of measurement (LoM)
- Discuss how to integrate practical skills and theoretical content to help students write about their practical work confidently
- Use exemplar material focusing on practical skills questions
- This session will begin with a discussion of the options for delivering the course
- Explain how to incorporate independent learning to be able to cover the large course content
- Discuss the importance of synoptic teaching and learning
- Focus on teaching for success; how to support students to remember key concepts and begin to apply them – interleaving and retrieval strategies
- Discuss the topic areas that create the foundation for success
- Recognise which topic areas will be most challenging and ideas to make them more accessible
- Demonstrate the importance of Y12 AS knowledge and understanding for Y13 topics
- Show how to teach across the ability range; how to ensure top students are challenged, while not leaving lower ability students behind
- This session focuses on how students are assessed in A-Level Biology and how to approach student marking and feedback
- Analysis of the different types of exam question and strategies for success
- A specific focus on how to attempt the essay question on paper 3 (LoR) and how to mark it
- How to teach towards the ’endgame’, what language to use, misconceptions to avoid and general tips for success
- Tips for time management – the use of peer assessment and self-assessment
- Signposts the support available from the exam boards – where to find it and how to use it
The tutor2u approach to CPD
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A full day of CPD designed and delivered by experienced subject specialists
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Practical, ready-to-use resources that you can put to use and share with colleagues as soon as you return to the classroom
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A chance to have your questions answered, and teaching problems solved
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An invaluable opportunity to share ideas and experiences with colleagues from other centres and to build a network of contacts
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Refreshments throughout the day and a buffet lunch
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All attendees receive a 20% one-time discount code to use on any tutor2u print or digital resources
Your hosts
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Ellena Gilson
Ellena has an excellent teaching background as the head of Biology at a top grammar school and has over 25 years’ experience of teaching. Ellena holds senior positions for two major exam boards and runs her own tutoring business. Ellena has a decade of experience setting exam questions and revising questions for A-Level papers. She authors A-Level resources for a number of publishers.
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Tracey Williams
Tracey is an excellent A-Level Biology teacher with nearly 20 years of A-Level experience from a wide-range of schools both in the UK and abroad. Tracey is a senior examiner for two major exam boards, which involves mark scheme construction and has over 16 years of experience in assessment. Tracey runs her own A-Level tutoring business.
About Essential
Designed to support all non-specialist, early career or inexperienced teachers delivering specific qualifications.
Customer support
We're here to help. If you have any questions about any of our events, please email events@tutor2u.net.
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