What the 2026 Biology Exams Taught Us (And What Teachers Should Change Now) | S2 E43

The 2026 Biology exams are over... but before we move on, there's one thing every teacher should do. Reflect. In this episode of Miss Estruch Teach & Tell, I share the three biggest trends I noticed across this year's AQA and OCR A Level Biology papers—and, more importantly, what I'm changing in my teaching ready for September. Rather than waiting until next spring to react, now is the perfect time to make small adjustments that could have a huge impact on student outcomes next year. In this episode we discuss: Why the Apparatus and Techniques table deserves far more attention than many of us give it How required practical skills are increasingly assessed in unfamiliar contexts The rise of AO1 extended response questions on Paper 1 Teaching students to recall mark scheme points—not just content Why application questions are becoming increasingly unpredictable Helping students become confident with unfamiliar scientific contexts Practical teaching strategies to implement from September I also share details of my Head Start sessions designed to help students transition confidently into the next academic year. Head Start Sessions 🎓 Head Start to A Level Biology (Year 11 → Year 12) https://www.missestruch.co.uk/head-start-to-alevel 🎓 Head Start to Year 13 (Current Year 12 students) https://www.missestruch.co.uk/head-start-to-year13