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.
The framework, recommendations and policy positions
Published in 2021, Evolving 5-19 Biology: recommendations and framework for 5-19 biology curricula sets out a vision for the teaching and learning of biology, informed by the expertise of our members, research, and evidence. In 2024, the Society developed additional policy documents providing more detail on areas of curriculum and school experience that are often overlooked in biology and the sciences. The role of practical activities, sustainability education, transferable skills, and improving teacher and student perceptions of ecology are all critical to improving biology and science education across the UK.
Strengthening our expertise in Primary Science
To complement Evolving 5-19 Biology and in partnership with the Association for Science Education, Institute of Physics, and Royal Society of Chemistry, RSB convened a Primary Curriculum Advisory Group. Their report, Framework for Primary Science, was published in 2023 and the science organisation's responded with recommendations in 2024 - Developing a Primary Science Curriculum.
Supporting teachers in Welsh medium and bilingual schools
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.
For teachers, policymakers and awarding bodies
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 these specific audiences, and provide easy reference extracts (overview, big questions and themes, recommendations):
- summary for teachers
- summary for policy makers
- summary for awarding bodies
- overview of the three dimensions
- seven big-questions and 23 themes
- eight recommendations
Background
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. 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.
Our framework for the 5-19 biology curricula has three dimensions sub-divided into 23 themes. Each of these is a different way of viewing the biological world. These themes can also be drawn together through common ideas in ‘cross-cutting themes’.
The Royal Society of Biology regularly responds to formal consultations and calls for evidence, and publishes letters to governments, regulatory bodies and awarding organisations. Read more on our consultation responses webpage.
For more information, please contact education.policy@rsb.org.uk