IGCSE COURSE IN DETAIL
BIOLOGY
Course name: IGCSE Biology
Exam board: Edexcel
Pupils will sit two externally marked papers at
the end of two years.
Paper 1: 66% of the marks
Paper 2: 34% of the marks
Both papers cover the full course and no
coursework is required.
Entry requirements
Biology is open to all pupils at this level.
Most countries’ junior high school or key
stage 3 science courses will provide adequate
preparation. Please contact the head of
science if you have specific concerns.
Syllabus content
Pupils will study concepts related to the
following broad topics:
The nature and variety of living organisms;
structures and functions in living organisms;
reproduction and inheritance; ecology and
the environment; use of biological resources;
microorganisms; genetic engineering.
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IGCSE COURSE IN DETAIL
BUSINESS STUDIES
Why Biology?
All the sciences aim to develop the skills pupils
need to make informed decisions on scientific
and technological matters in their adult lives.
Biology is the effort to define and understand
the natural world and our place in it. It is an
academically rigorous subject which develops
analytical and critical thinking skills as well as
and communication and collaboration.
It is essential that any pupil wishing to study
biology at post-16 level should do this course.
Biology is a highly-recommended course
for future study of many science related
disciplines including medicine, biomedical
sciences and veterinary science.
Course name: IGCSE Business Studies
Exam board: CIE
This is a two year course and is examined by
two written papers at the end of the course:
Paper 1: Written examination consisting of four
questions requiring a mixture of short answers
and structured data responses. (50%)
Paper 2: Written examination consisting of four
questions based on a case study, provided as an
insert with the paper. (50%)
There is no coursework.
Entry requirements
There are no entry requirements and there
is no expectation that any pupils have studied
business before. However, the ability to think
critically and an interest in the world around
you would be a distinct advantage.
Why Business studies?
The ideas and concepts that we look at
in business studies are important in any
walk of life, for example it is essential that
all managers understand how to motivate
people no matter the discipline they work
in, nearly every organisation engages in
marketing and produces accounts. Studying
business will help pupils develop a critical
understanding of, and interest in, the world
around them. It is also, of course, a good
first step in understanding the principles of
running a successful business.
Studying business requires the understanding
of a wide range of theories but knowing how
to apply these to different situations and
organisations, evaluating them, examining the
impact of decisions and solving problems are
all key skills are acquired through the study of
business.
Syllabus content
This course is a traditional introduction to
business studies. Broadly speaking the course
is broken down into the standard areas of
marketing, human resource management,
finance and operations. We will start with a
general introduction to the business world and
structures of businesses. Much use is made of
real world examples to illustrate the theory.
Many of the assessments are based upon case
studies of both real and fictional businesses.
We also encourage in-depth studying of
particular topics based around real companies
and other types of organisations, such as
charities, so that pupils can start to see the
inter-dependent nature of the topics.
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