COURSE FACTSHEET
Advanced Level Foundation — Biology module Who is this course for?
Recognised by widest choice of quality universities
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation is based on A-level syllabuses, taught by A-level teachers, assessed against A-levels and moderated by an independent Advisory Board of external examiners. As such, it is one of the most highly academic and successful pathways to leading UK universities.
Kings does not work with a narrow range of university partners. This is because our Advanced Level Foundation is based on, and linked to, A-levels. It is therefore automatically recognised and accepted by the widest choice of universities. Out of the Top 25 universities listed in the Times and Sunday Times 2019 rankings, 20 have accepted Kings Foundation students.
Pearson assured
Benchmarking against A-Level grades
Key Facts
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation has Pearson assured status, awarded after an annual Pearson audit of quality assurance.
Typical top 30 university offers to students following the Programme are based on their normal A-level offers. The Programme is benchmarked against A-level grades as follows:
Start dates: 7 January, 8 April*, 1 July*, 9 September 2019; 6 January, 6 April*, 29 June*, 7 September 2020 (*Extended version) Locations offered: Oxford
London
Bournemouth Brighton
Level: Minimum IELTS 5.5 (standard version); IELTS 4.0 (extended version). Completed 11 – 12 years of schooling. Minimum age: 17 Length: 1 Academic Year (3 terms). Or Extended Advanced Level Foundation of 4 – 7 terms (including 3-term Advanced Level Foundation) Lessons: Average 21 hours per week (plus homework and private study) Class size: 8 – 12 Learning outcomes: à Raise academic qualifications to UK university entrance level à Raise English to university level à Develop learning and self study skills for degree level
Advisory Panel Standards for the Programme are set by an external and independent Advisory Board which meets three times each year to ensure best practice, moderate marks where required and hear appeals.
Assessment Paper
Weighting
Term 1 Assessment
30%
Term 2 Assessment
35%
Term 3 Assessment
35%
Typical A-level offer
Typical Kings Foundation offer
A*A*A*
80%
AAA
75%
AAB
70%
ABB
65%
BBB
60%
CCC
50%
Extended option Students with lower language levels can join an extended programme of 4 – 7 terms (including the 3-term Advanced Level Foundation), from IELTS 4.0. It offers practical content designed to provide a bridge into UK academic life. The main focus is developing suitable language proficiency for the Advanced level Foundation with concentrated IELTS lessons, but as the course is made up of English language classes and some 1:1 or small group study, it has the flexibility to also provide bespoke academic study skills and subject enrichment. The course can also include a Maths GCSE if required.
Advanced Level Foundation
Sept
Jun
Apr
Jan
Sept
Jun
Apr
Jan
Sept
Jun
Pathways
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation IELTS 4.0
Extended Foundation IELTS 5.0 IELTS 4.5
Extended Foundation
Top 20 university
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation (Science and Engineering Pathway)
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation (Science and Engineering Pathway)
Vacation
Top 20 university
Extended Foundation IELTS 5.0 IELTS 4.5
Top 20 university
Ext. Found.
COURSE FACTSHEET
Course structure and content The programme is highly flexible, and able to adapt to the needs and academic aspirations of each student. It does this through a combination of core modules and a series of elective modules which can be combined in different ways to create main subject streams: Main subject streams à Business à Engineering à Life Sciences and Pharmacy à A rchitecture à Media and Communications à Humanities and Social Sciences à Mathematics, Computing and Science
Core modules are: à Communication and Study Skills à Data Handling and Information Technology Elective modules are: à A rt and Design à Biology à Business Studies à Chemistry
à Economics à History à Human Geography à Law à Mathematics à Media à Physics à Psychology à Politics and Government
2018 – 19 Sample academic timeline September
October
November
December
January
February
September starters
10 Sept: term starts Student induction
20 – 28 Oct: half term
University fairs/visits
14 Dec: term ends CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams
7 Jan: term starts
14 – 17 Feb: half term CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation) University fairs/visits
January starters
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—
—
—
7 Jan: term starts Student induction
14 – 17 Feb: half term University fairs/visits
March
April
May
June
July
August
September starters
22 Mar: term ends Assignments* End of term exams
8 April: term starts Assignments*
Assignments*
14 June: term ends CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)
—
—
January starters
22 Mar: term ends Assignments* CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams
8 April: term starts Assignments*
Assignments*
17 – 18 June: 2 day break CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation)
CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)
2 Aug: term ends
*students spend two weeks on each assignment and do three in total — one for each of their ‘elective’ modules. Please note that specific dates are subject to change.
Biology module structure and content à have experience of practical Biology in a laboratory environment and conducted their own experiments à be able to apply their knowledge and skills at a standard equivalent to Biology A-level. Term 1 Biological molecules Topics covered include: à Biological molecules à Enzymes Cells Topics covered include: à Cell structure and function. à Differences between Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes. à Transport across cell membranes à The Immune System
à Vaccinations. à H IV. Organisms exchange substances with their environment Topics covered include: à Exchange between organisms and their environment. à Mechanism of breathing in humans. à Circulatory system of a mammal. à Structure of the heart and cardiac cycle. à Blood vessels. Genetic information, variation and relationships between organises Topics covered include: à DNA, RNA and chromosomes. à Genes, the triplet code and protein synthesis. à Mitosis and the cell cycle. à Mutations. Continued overleaf æ
1233 07/15
Learning outcomes On successful completion of the Biology module, students should: à be able to apply the structure of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids to the roles they play in living organisms. à have an understanding of different organs and their functions in living organisms, the effect of diseases on such systems, diagnosis and treatment. à have an understanding of the ultrastructure and function of cells, how they divide and the mechanisms of transport across membranes. à have an understanding of genetic variation and diversity of organisms and the influence of the environment upon them. à have an understanding of recombinant DNA technology in agriculture, industry, and medicine.
COURSE FACTSHEET
Biology module structure and content continued à Meiosis and genetic variation. à Genetic diversity and adaptation. à Selection (antibiotic resistance of bacteria). à Species diversity and human activity. à Investigating diversity (comparisons of DNA, RNA base sequences and amino acid sequences). à Courtship behavior.
Term 2 Energy transfer in and between organisms Topics covered include: à ATP and Respiration à Energy and Ecosystems à Food chains and energy transfer à Nutrient cycles à Use of natural and artificial fertilisers.
Investigative and practical skills in Biology à Food tests. à Factors affecting enzyme action such as pH and temperature. à Microscope work and cell observation. à Transport across cell membranes-osmosis using potatoes, diffusion. à Dissection of fish. à Transpiration experiments-leaf mass, photometer. à Heart dissection, pulse rate and BP monitor. à Extraction of DNA from fruit, onion. à Growth of microbial cultures using aseptic techniques and antibiotic discs. à A nalysis of data and disease to show cause and correlation.
Organisms respond to changes in their environments Topics covered include: à Homeostasis. à Feedback mechanisms. à Hormones and their regulation of blood glucose concentration. à Diabetes. à The nephron and its role in osmoregulation. Investigative and practical skills in Biology à Fieldwork involving the use of quadrats and the measurement of a specific abiotic factor. à Collection of quantitative data, from at least one habitat, and analysis of data using statistical tests.
à The use of percentage cover and frequency as measures of abundance. à A naerobic respiration in yeast. à Clinistix tests for glucose. Term 3 Control of gene expression Topics covered include: à Gene mutations. à Stem cells and Totipotentcy. à Regulation of transcription and translation. à The production of DNA fragments. à In vitro and in vivo Gene cloning. à Gene therapy à Genetic screening and counselling. à Genetic fingerprinting Investigative and practical skills in Biology à Genetic crosses and probability. à Electrophoresis
COURSE FACTSHEET
Recommended reading
Sample enrichment activities
Below is a list of text books normally used on this course, as well as books which may help you prepare for your studies prior to arrival. In many cases the textbooks will be supplied by the school, and you may borrow them for the duration of your time at school. However, if you already know what three subjects you want to choose you may prefer to purchase one before you arrive.
à The Big Bang fair, NEC Birmingham à Natural History Museum visit à Oxford University Science laboratory visit à The Royal Society, London à Science Club à Science in the News Club
àA QA Biology A Level Student Book Authors: Ted Lister, Janet Renshaw Publisher: Oxford University Press (including Nelson Thornes) àN ew Grade 9-1 GCSE Biology AQA Revision Guide àN ew Grade 9-1 Edexcel International GCSE Biology: Revision Guide
Alumni who took the biology module Below is a selection of degree courses some of our most recent alumni have gone on to study: Student name
Advanced Level Foundation Modules
University
Course name
Adaeze Bhema Atube
Biology/Chemistry/Physics/CSS/Data
University of Surrey
Biomedical Science
Tsz Ching Hg
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Nottingham
Nutrition
Eunyoung Jang
Biology/Economics/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Southampton
Criminology and Psychology
Khemika Klomsuwan
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Birmingham
Biological Science
Hon Ming Lam
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Bristol
Pathology and Microbiology
Sing Yan Lee
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Nottingham
Physiotherapy
Ho Kit Leung
Biology/Chemistry/Business/CSS/Data
Lancaster University
Biomedicine
Zehui Liu
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
Coventry University
Food and Nutrition
Leonor Hellmund Mancera
Biology/Chemistry/Physics/CSS/Data
University of Nottingham
Biomedical Materials Science
Chan Yup Park
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Kent
Biomedical Sciences
Gia Bach Pham
Biology/Chemistry/Mathematics/CSS/Data
University of Glasgow
Psychology
Hugo Van Der Straten Waillet
Biology/Business/Geography/CSS/Data
Queen Mary University of London
Environmental Science with Business Management
“
Although it’s not a big school the atmosphere is really good. People are really friendly and there are small teaching groups, so you can get more involved. All me and my friends come from different international places — in my old school people stayed with their own nationalities, but here it’s totally different. We communicate and practise our English, it’s better than the other schools. I really enjoy it. Here I’m more motivated to learn, the teachers are good and we all motivate each other.
”
Ho Kit Leung
1800 09/18
I’m going to apply to do medical sciences at university. Medicine is very competitive, so I’m going to take a step back — do medical sciences and then when I’ve finished that degree I’ll go to medical school.