Evolving 5-19 Biology
Over the last ten years, the Royal Society of Biology has been preparing for the next round of curriculum reform across the UK nations, working with awarding organisations, regulatory bodies, and governments to inform development of new qualifications, adjustments to existing specifications, and improving biology and science education for all young people.
RSB has published a suite of documents setting out the Society's vision for biology curricula across all four UK nations, presenting a coherent and cohesive approach to biology education and influencing policy makers, curriculum designers, and specification designers across the UK, as well as aiming to support teachers and school leaders in developing and justifying the biology curriculum within their schools.
Evolving 5-19 biology
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Framework for Primary Science
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Developing a Primary Science Curriculum
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The role of practical activities in biology
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Transferable skills in biology education
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Sustainability education
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Improving teacher and student perceptions of ecology
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To support teachers, schools, and curriculum developers in Wales, the Society has produced Welsh language versions of the Framework for Primary Science and Evolving 5-19 Biology — Fframwaith ar gyfer Darpar Gwricwlwm Gwyddoniaeth Cynradd and Esblygu 5-19 Bioleg.
Evolving 5-19 Biology is intended primarily to inform curriculum policy, guidance and content. However, as our suite of documents grows and more emphasis is placed on school leaders and teachers justifying and designing curricula, we have created summaries for teachers, policy makers, and awarding bodies.
For easy reference and printing, we provide extracts from the Framework — overview of the three dimensions, big questions and themes in the Framework, and eight recommendations for developing curricula.
Since 2014, our Curriculum Committee, has been working to develop a framework for coherent 5 – 19 biology curricula, to inform curriculum development across the UK regions and, gradually internationally based on the best available evidence.
In February 2018, we published a leaflet presenting our mapping of a coherent 5-19 biology curriculum. Following a consultation, this map was updated and was presented as part of a special edition of School Science Review, framing the secondary science curriculum alongside articles from the Institute of Physics and Royal Society of Chemistry who are undertaking similar work. RSB's article Developing a framework for the biology curriculum reflects on our approach, and the rationale behind some of the decisions made mapping a coherent curriculum for biology.
In 2019-21, we consulted widely with our committees, RSB Member Organisations, other science and non-science education experts, and partners. Ann Fullick and Alistair Moore, previous Curriculum Committee members, authored A vision for the future of the 5-19 biology curriculum: coherence, learning progression and relevance.
RSB will continue to expand its suite of documents, and use these to inform curriculum and qualification reforms currently taking place in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. We will be looking for partners to badge new documents jointly, to add depth and breadth to our policy positions, advice, and signposting resources from other organisations.
Discover our policy work