This course provides an opportunity for schools with low student numbers to prepare, plan and collect data for A Level Biology.
These courses are for groups of 9 or less students from any one school. Students must be accompanied by a responsible adult (usually a teacher from a school, but could be a parent/carer for an individual student).
Due to safeguarding reasons we are unable to let adult learners attend these courses. To ensure safety all U18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult on residential courses, eg teacher or parent.
Lunch on the first day is not included, but is on the final day.
Staff are charged at half the student rate plus VAT, 1 staff member per school.
The cost of this course is VAT exempt, including in-course transport to field sites.
Train station transfers are an additional £22.00 per student return.
Example Timetable
Day 1
Arrival from 12:00
Check into reception.
Luggage to be stored in a safe location until rooms are ready.
Lunch, brought from home, can be eaten outside prior to start of course.
13:00
Meet your tutors for your welcome tour.
Borrow wellies and waterproofs if required.
Woodland Biodiversity
- Introduction to the course, learning objectives, woodlands, conservation, and Box Hill.
- Walk to Lodge Hill.
- Students to set hypotheses after observing the habitats.
- Discussion of random sampling, demonstration of methods and collection of data
- Collection of data from second site.
- Simultaneous readings of light in both sites.
- Scientific drawing.
- Return to Juniper Hall.
- Data presentation and justification of the presentation technique using secondary data.
Break & Bedrooms
Cake & drinks. Time to move into bedrooms.
Evening Meal
One hour break. Dinner sittings of 30 minutes allocated between 17:45 and 19:00.
Evening Session
- Data analysis, including the calculation of Simpson’s index of Biodiversity.
- Brief Introduction to statistics.
- Data analysis using secondary data, standard deviation provided for the students T-test.
20:00
End of taught course. Free time for students. Students to be supervised by school staff.
Day 2
Morning
Breakfast & Packed Lunch
Allocated sittings of 30 minutes between 07:45 and 09:00.
Make packed lunches. Free time until morning activity starts.
09:30
Meet tutors.
Secondary Succession & Systematic Sampling
- Introduction to the course, learning objectives, secondary succession and Mickleham Downs.
- Walk to Mickleham Downs.
- Setting hypotheses after observing the environment.
- Discussion of systematic sampling and demonstration of methods.
- Data collection in groups.
- Complete field work to include estimating the height of a tree.
- Scientific drawing of a chosen species (if not done on a previous day).
- Write risk assessment.
- Return to Juniper Hall.
- Detailed evaluation of data collection methods, to include limitations and improvements.
Lunch & Break
Lunch will be eaten at a suitable time (approx. 12:30) outside, with a cake & drinks break in the afternoon (approx. 15:30).
Evening Meal
One hour break. Dinner sittings of 30 minutes allocated between 17:45 and 19:00.
Evening session
Data presentation using students’ own data. Students to draw a scatter graph and a kite diagram.
20:00
End of taught course. Free time for students. Students to be supervised by school staff.
Day 3
Before Breakfast
Stripping beds of bedlinen. Pack bags.
Breakfast & Packed Lunch
- Allocated sittings of 30 minutes between 07:45 and 09:00.
- Make packed lunches.
After Breakfast
- Move luggage out of bedrooms to secure storage area.
- Free time until morning activity starts.
09:30
Meet tutors.
Grassland Study
- Brief introduction to the impact of trampling on Box Hill and the importance of chalk grasslands.
- Walk to Burford Spur.
- Brief introduction to the location.
- In small groups, choose an independent variable and a species to study.
- Choose an appropriate method, sampling strategy and control variables.
- Students to carry out the data collection element of their individual planned investigation.
- Take photograph of chosen species for scientific drawing back at school.
- Return to Juniper Hall
12:00
End of course and departure.
What's Included
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Expert Tuition -
Free Wi-Fi -
Full Board Accommodation -
Hot and Cold Drinks -
Picnic Lunch
Opportunities to attend this course
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Wed 18, September 2024 13:00 - Fri 20, September 2024 12:00
