Weekly Masterclasses for AQA and OCR A students
These weekly, group tutorials are an affordable way to access high-quality tuition
Join a small group of students from your year group and exam board for a different topic each week. We go through the theory and look at how to apply it to the exam questions for top marks. Strengthen your knowledge and get a jump ahead of your classmates. Students have free access to the lesson recordings for later revision.
There are still a couple of spaces available in this year’s Masterclasses if you would like to join us - book online to secure your place. If you would like to join next year, get in touch through WhatsApp.
Current classes:
AQA Y12 - Mondays at 5.15pm (from June 2024)
AQA Y13 - Wednesdays at 6.30pm
OCR A Y12 - Wednesdays at 5.15pm
OCR A Y13 - Mondays at 6.30pm
Next academic year:
Y13 Masterclasses for students sitting exams in June 2025 will start in mid September 2024
Y12 Masterclasses for students sitting exams in June 2026 will start in late October 2024
“The focus the sessions have on understanding biological concepts and how to correctly answer past paper questions has really helped me. Through actively attending the group tutoring sessions my Biology grades are quickly improving from Cs to As. ”
About Masterclasses
We cover a different topic every week. You can see the topic lists below. We go through the required concepts and look at the types of exam questions that might come up, and I give advice about how best to approach these to avoid dropping any marks.
Having separate classes for different student groups means we can do lots of exam practice using past paper questions from your particular board, with content, guidance and tips focused on the exact requirements and quirks of your specification. Having separate classes for different year groups means the attending students have similar prior knowledge, and the topics can align with the order you are likely to be studying these in your school or college.
I use a variety of simple interactive tools to create an active learning environment. These let me see your responses without you having to screenshare or talk on screen. My Masterclasses are not passive lectures - you will get a lot more out of the experience, with deeper and more effective learning. Be prepared to actively engage with the topic, and to give your brain a good workout!
Students are expected to attend regularly: habit and consistency are vital for learning. It is helpful to book ahead to be sure of getting a space in every class (they can and do sell out!). Students who later find they can’t attend on the day usually just watch the recording instead, but you can always cancel if this becomes necessary.
Find out more about me and my approach to tutoring, or scroll down for feedback from past attendees.
Upcoming Topics
Masterclass topics for OCR A YR12 (Wednesdays, 5.15pm)
7 Feb 2024 - Transport in Animals (f): Cardiac Cycle
21 Feb - Transport in Animals (g,h): Electrical Activity of Heart and ECG
6 Mar - Transport in Animals (i,j): Carriage of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide
13 Mar - Transport in Plants: Xylem and Transpiration
20 Mar - Transport in Plants: Using Potometers, Phloem translocation, Xerophytes and Hydrophytes
27 March - Communicable Diseases (a-c): Types; Transmission; and Animal Defenses and White Blood Cells
3 April - Break for Easter
10 April - Break for Easter
17 April - Communicable Diseases (f-j): Lymphocytes; Immune Responses; and Active/Passive Immunity
24 April - Biodiversity (a,b): Levels and Sampling Biodiversity (c-e): Measuring Species Richness; Simpson’s Index of Diversity;
1 May -
8 May - Biodiversity (f-i): Contributory Factors; Reasons for Maintaining Biodiversity; Methods and Agreements for doing so
15 May - Classification and Evolution (a-c): Biological Classification; Binomial system; and Features and Evidence for Classification
29 May - Evolution (d,e): Classification and Phylogeny; and the evidence for Evolution by Natural Selection
5 June - Evolution (f-i): Variation; Adaptations; Mechanisms of Evolution; and implications for Human Populations
Masterclass topics for OCR A YR13 (Mondays, 6.30pm)
19 Feb 2024 - Plant and Animal Responses: Muscle Contraction
26 Feb - Cellular Control (a,b): Gene Mutations and Regulation of Gene Expression
4 Mar - Ecosystems (a,b): Ecosystems; Biomass Transfers
11 Mar - Manipulating Genomes (a,b): DNA and Gene Sequencing
18 Mar - Ecosystems (c): Nitrogen Cycle
25 Mar - Manipulating Genomes (c,d e,f ): DNA profiling; PCR and DNA Analysis, Genetic Engineering
1 Apr - Hardy Weinberg, Allopatric and Sympatric Speciation
8 Apr - Respiration
15 Apr - Populations and Sustainability (a,b): Size; Interactions.
22 Apr -Classification and Evolution (a-d): Biological Classification; Binomial system; Features; Evidence for Classification; and Classification and Phylogeny
29 Apr - Manipulating Genomes (g,h): Ethics; and Gene Therapy in Medicine, Cloning and Biotech (a-d): Plant and Animal Clones
6 May
13 May - Populations and Sustainability (c-e): Conservation, Preservation; and Management.
20 May - Cloning and Biotech (e-h): Use of Microorganisms
27 May - Plant Transport
3 June - Animal Transport: Cardiac Cycle
Masterclass topics for AQA YR13 (Wednesdays, 6.30pm)
7 Feb 2024 - Mutations
21 Feb - Control of Water Potential
28 Feb - Most of the cell DNA is not translated
6 Mar - Skeletal Muscles
13 Mar - Regulation of Transcription and Translation
20 Mar - Gene Expression and Cancer
27 Mar - Cardiac Cycle
3 Apr - Species and Taxonomy
10 Apr - Recombinant DNA Technology
17 Apr - Biodiversity with a community
24 Apr - Investigating Diversity
1 May - Genetic diversity can arise as a result of Mutation or during Meiosis
8 May - Differences in DNA between individuals
15 May - Genetic Fingerprinting
22 May - Mass transport in Plants
29 May - Carbohydrates
6 June - Topic to be chosen by the class
Group Tutorial feedback from students:
“The classes last an hour, you may think not very long, but Tom packs a phenomenal amount of information into a comparatively short session. These are zoom classes, there isn’t any complicated tech involved and Tom is very approachable after class.”
“The focus the sessions have on understanding biological concepts and how to correctly answer past paper questions has really helped me. Through actively attending the group tutoring sessions my Biology grades are quickly improving from Cs to As. I would recommend the A level Biology group tutoring sessions to any student needing that extra push and guidance (like myself) to achieve the best grade possible in A level Biology.”
“Just wanted to say a huge thank you I was getting D in year 12 Bio but I got an A your lessons were fantastic and perfect detail 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻”
“I was sceptical about the online sessions but he’s got everything sorted to make it a smooth session. 10/10 would recommend. ”
“I’ve found Tom’s biology tutoring immensely helpful. His sessions are engaging and interactive, and he covers each topic in detail, followed by practice exam questions, to ensure understanding.”
“Hi :) I got an A in Biology and a place at my firm uni York!! Thank you so much for all your help I’m so greatful!!”
BOOK YOUR PLACE
Book individually for upcoming classes, or book the whole course now