Students studying A Levels in Biology and Applied Science have had plenty of opportunity for learning outside the classroom with no less than four trips to enhance their learning last term.

The Applied Science students have been to Newcastle University to carry out one part of their coursework. The university has a range of specialist equipment that we don't have access to in school and using this allows students to produce high quality results that they can then analyse in the classroom. Students also had a trip to Wessington Cryogenics in Houghton-le-Spring. They need to produce a portfolio of how science is used in the workplace and this local company offers an excellent opportunity for students to see science in practice. Wessington Cryogenics has been extremely supportive of King James in the past and, as usual staff were delighted to welcome us to the site to look around and see the science involved in their daily operation.

A Level Biology students were taken to London to attend a revision and study conference to help with their exam. The trip included an overnight stay in London and they also managed to fit in a bit of sightseeing while they were there too.

Both of the courses include a large proportion of Biology so both classes were invited to attend a session at Newcastle University Medical School to look at human cadavers, study the structure of the body and to see how the organs work together. This gave students an opportunity to see where the organ systems were located in the human body and the size of the organs in relation to each other. Students were even able to handle the parts to inspect them fully.

All of these trips were directly intended to aid coursework or to help with revision and understanding for exams to be taken this year.