Biology is a wonderfully diverse and exciting discipline. Much of our supra-curricular programme is run under the auspices of our Biology Society (BioSoc), which runs weekly practical activities and talks, and we encourage the boys to organise and run these events themselves.
‘I enjoy going to BioSoc when there are talks by scientists or medics giving us lots of detail about their subject – it makes me think about other things that we don’t do in lessons. My favourite dissection so far has been the frog, as we got to see the mechanics of how the legs move by looking at the muscles by pulling on the tendons.’ Dominic Hughes, Year 10 We have had success in a number of competitions, including two gold medals in the national Biology Olympiad this year. We have also run a number of trips, both for Middle and Upper School pupils, to events such as the Science Live lectures in central London, and most recently for 12 potential medicine and biology applicants to the epigenetics laboratory at Guy’s Hospital under Professor Oakey. This summer, a small number of Sixth Form boys went on an expedition to Madagascar where they took part in scientific research programmes aimed at preserving the unique biodiversity of the island. We are very much of the opinion that ‘out of classroom’ learning experiences play a vital role in nurturing the enthusiasm and interest of our pupils. As such, they are an essential part of boys’ experience of the Biology curriculum and the links that can be made to other disciplines.
Within the past year, we have welcomed a number of high profile speakers to the College: Professor Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the Ebola virus and former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, renowned oncologist Professor Karol Sikora OA and Sir Cyril Chantler, former Chairman of Great Ormond Street Hospital. ‘This year, I prepared and delivered a talk on ‘The Biology of Murder’ to the Biology Society. The idea of speaking in public was a daunting one, but I felt I learnt a lot from it and my talk was celebration of national Biology Week, in which the department takes over the Lower Hall to run a series of displays on a biological theme. This proved to be a highly popular event among boys of all ages and will become an annual fixture. ‘It was during Biology Week that I made the decision to study the subject at A level. The displays were well presented and showed the large range of topics that the subject covers.’ Ben Schlossman, Year 11 well-received.’ George Porter, Year 12 One of the key events for the Society is our
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