Year 13 Biology & Chemistry

Strood Academy Letter image

Dear Parent/Carer. 

As we near the end of module 1 I thought it would be useful to get in touch with you, in collaboration with my colleagues in the Science department, to update you on the current situation in Y13 Biology and Chemistry. In my first few weeks as the new Director of Learning for Science at Strood Academy I have made it a priority to understand the current trajectory of student attainment for both A-Level Biology and A-Level Chemistry and what needs to be done to promote greater success in these subjects. 

At present, outcomes from the end of year assessments from Year 12 and on recent assessments sat in Y13 (2x full AS Level exams in each science) indicate that students are not on track to achieve as fully as they can. In a number of cases, students are at risk of being ungraded should they continue on their current trajectory. We are incredibly keen to ensure that all of our students leave us at the end of Year 13 with the ability to determine their own next steps – to have achieved outcomes and qualifications they need to move into their preferred career or course of choice. 

As I am sure you are aware, A-Level Biology and A-Level Chemistry are both incredibly challenging subjects that place a high demand on students’ concentration, effort and engagement. To this end, it is important that students are mindful of how they approach their studies: 

  • It is expected that students are maximising the class time that they have available to them, ensuring 100% focus and engagement. This includes eliminating off-topic chat and promoting an environment that is constantly purposeful. 
  • We have increased the allocation of teacher-led contact hours for both A-Level Biology and A-Level Chemistry to 7 hours per week for the remainder of this academic year to provide increased opportunities to review content from Year 12, as well as further time to develop and consolidate new knowledge and concepts. Students need to be matching this with the time they spend reviewing prior learning and preparing for new learning outside of the classroom. Lesson resources are accessible on Google Classroom to support this, as well as links to many useful websites and wider resources. 
  • All students need to treat any assessments they sit as though they are their real examinations. Developing and maintaining robust and effective revision & exam preparation techniques is a crucial part of success at A-Level. Starting now and applying this approach for every assessment will ensure that students primed for success in summer 2025. 
  • We want to be able to give the most positive impressions of our students, especially for university applications,and we use a broad range of evidence for determining predicted grades for UCAS applications, so it is very much in the students’ best interest to ensure they are giving the best impression of themselves at all times.

Our Year 13 students have an excellent opportunity to showcase their efforts and abilities during our upcoming Y13 mock exams. These are due to take place from Tuesday 5th November 2024. Assessment dates are as follows: 

  • Biology paper 1: Thursday 7th November 2024 
  • Biology Paper 2: Friday 8th November 2024 
  • Chemistry paper 1: Thursday 14th November 2024 
  • Chemistry Paper 2: Friday 15th November 2024 

Revision lists and advice will be shared directly from the respective class teachers. 

We look forward to working with our Year 13 biologists and chemists throughout the remainder of the 2024/2025 academic year. We encourage them to be proactive in identifying where they need support and seeking that support from their respective teachers. 

Should you have any queries or concerns, please do feel free to get in touch. 

Yours sincerely, 

Mr C. Goddard | Director of Learning for Science (craig.goddard@stroodacademy.org) & Mrs N. Kidwai | Lead Practitioner & Associate AP (nida.kidwai@stroodacademy.org)