Last week, during a 1:1 tutorial with an A level Biology student, I heard a way of describing something quite tricky from the syllabus that just cut straight to the heart of the idea. Pow! A perfect metaphor. I’ve probably taught that idea over 150 times, and I've taught it to undergraduates, A level students, GCSE students, and KS3 students. They always struggle to grasp the central core of the idea…

Every year students who seemingly sailed through their GCSEs are taken by surprise when their experience of A level is so different from GCSE. They used to find science easy, perhaps it was their favourite subject, but now they’re confused and ready to give up. In this article I’ll discuss the reasons your teen could be struggling with A level Biology, and how you can help them succeed.