Greene’s is Oxford’s oldest tutorial college welcoming mature and school age students.
Every year, a wide range of 50 to 60 students study science and take a range of GCE practical courses. About one-third choose biology as one of their science subjects and attend the College’s science practical courses. Many wish to take the Biology A Level course to further their career and/or to take up a place at university.
As well as covering interesting topics and materials during each practical, the College likes to think beyond the A Level qualification and to address the cognitive, practical and experimentation skills its students will need later on – either at work or university. The CPAC criteria have a number of aspects that help it to do this.
The College runs its science practical courses twice a year starting in September. This allows students, who need extra training, to go over experiments they may have already completed but where their skills need further refinement and practice.
Greene’s Tutorial College in Oxford aims as much as possible to emphasise the practical skills of science – both in terms of ‘learning by doing’ and developing proficiencies in independent experimentation i.e. abilities in science that can be applied and built on at higher education. Through independent experimentation, Greene’s likes to create a culture of critical thinking and analysis when completing science practicals – an aspect that the college really appreciates as part of the new Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) criteria.
Saif Bham, Senior Scientist at Greene’s Tutorial College, shares his insights.
Greene’s chooses to teach OCR Biology A because the college wanted to produce a practical course which would not only comply with the CPAC, but also stimulate the students’ ability to think about experimental data, and how careful analysis can be used to answer scientific questions. The college wants its students to ‘learn by doing’ in experiments that would be both fun and also challenging.
An enjoyable course to teach. Greene’s enjoys delivering the OCR course because the practicals are well-designed, thought-out and amenable to extension activities.
Practical resources. Greene’s staff have also found the support from the OCR website, which they could access in their own time and at their own speed, to be particularly useful.
Designed for students. Students have a clear idea of what to expect from it and understand the need to record data and procedures diligently during the practicals. The College finds that the 'to submit' section at the end of each practical serves as a useful reminder and a check, and is proving to be helpful to the students.
The OCR approach to the practical endorsement allows you and your centre to choose whatever practical activities you wish, provided all the necessary skills and techniques are covered over the two years of A Level study. Read more on our positive about practical page.
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