WELCOME TO BIOLOGY AT RSD 
Biology Examination Success
Our A level pupils enjoyed excellent results in the 2011 examinations. Congratulations to Stacey Cairns, Hannah Downing, Kathryn Oliver, Rebekah Patterson, Jenny Thompson and Gary Wong who all achieved an A* grade at A2 level.
Likewise, our AS level results were very strong. Special congratulations go to Morgan Chan, Michael Dodds, Zoe Geddis, Anastasiya Kret and Jayne Patterson, who all secured extremely high grade As in AS level Biology.
Congratulations to Anastasiya Kret who was also ranked as second place candidate in Northern Ireland in her GCSE Biology examination in 2010.
GCSE results in the 2011 examinations were also excellent. Congratulations to Jason Pang, Adele Patterson and Alison Thompson who were the three top achieving pupils in GCSE Biology, each scoring A* grades.
Key Stage 3 Science Quiz
On Friday 16th March three of our Year 10 pupils travelled to Patrick’s High School Keady to take part in a Key Stage Three Science Quiz with pupils from other schools in the SELB area. The RSD team were Peter Doran, Tiffany Mens and Sophie Steenson. Congratulations to these pupils who achieved third place in what was a very intense competition.
STEM Module Visits RSD
The role of the STEM Module is to help promote STEM subjects, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, and encourage young people to get involved in STEM at an early age.
Year 13 pupils studying Biology had the chance to participate in a crime scene analysis scenario with the use of an advanced biology laboratory which was part of the STEM Module Truck which visited the school recently. The STEM Module is a 58-metre mobile laboratory and workshop, which providing interactive workspace for schools with interchangeable teaching resources, which can transform to a biology lab or an engineering workshop.
Biology gives all students the opportunity to organise his or her own concepts and attitudes, communicate with others, develop a sense of logic and a curious mind, classify experience and develop manipulative and practical skills.
Biology at Key Stage 3
In Year 8 and Year 9 Science is taught in an integrated fashion. Pupils have five periods of Science each week and at present resource booklets created by the RSD Science Department are followed. These fully support the Northern Ireland Curriculum, with units of work being taught in 2 - 3 week blocks.
In Year 10 pupils have two periods of Biology each week.
Year 8 Pupils Enjoying a Practical Activity
GCSE Biology
In Year 11 and Year 12 pupils are encouraged to develop their scientific skills with the enhanced learning of Living Organisms and Life Processes under the umbrella of either double or triple award Science. During the two year study of Biology pupils have the opportunity to partake in many practical’s which help to develop their study in specific subject areas. In Year 12 pupils have to carry out a practical module for their GCSE in which the research, analyse and carry out different practical’s in order to obtain and prove scientific theories.
A-Level Biology
In sixth year the students are able to develop their learning of this subject with an in-depth study of body systems, immunity, ecological succession, plants and this is all enhanced with the practical’s carried out during the year. In lower sixth all pupils have the opportunity to dissect a rat in order help develop their learning of organs and body systems.
