Free Online CPD Sessions with Katie Estruch

Session 1 | Teaching and Marking the AQA Biology Essay

📅 Wednesday, 14th January 2026
⏰ 4–5 PM

Master the skills to confidently teach the AQA Biology essay and guide your students towards success. This session is perfect for AQA Biology teachers, especially those teaching the essay for the first time.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Lesson Planning: Explore the lesson sequence I use to introduce and develop essay-writing skills.
• Mark Scheme Demystified: Gain a clear understanding of the AQA mark scheme, including the specific guidance examiners receive during marking.
• Hands-On Practice: Apply your understanding by marking AQA exemplar essays and comparing your scores to the official marking.
• Student Strategies: Discover practical techniques to help your students improve their essay scores, from planning to execution.

By the end of this session, you’ll feel equipped with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to teach and mark the AQA Biology essay effectively.

Please note: This session is not accredited or affiliated with AQA. The content is based on my extensive experience teaching A-level students how to write the essay since the launch of the new specification in 2015. My students and tutees consistently achieve excellent results, and I bring experience in both teaching and marking to this session.

Session 2 | The A* Blueprint: Strategies That Transform Grades in A-level Biology

📅 Wednesday, 4th February 2026
⏰ 4–5 PM

What separates an A* student from everyone else? It isn’t luck, it is the combination of high-quality teaching, consistent skill building, and students learning how to learn. This session breaks down the core strategies that help students make exceptional progress and secure the very top grades in A-level Biology.

Here’s what we’ll explore:

High Impact Teaching and Learning Activities
Discover the lesson structures, modelling strategies, and retrieval practices that build deep understanding and long-term retention. 

Developing Exam Technique for Top Answers
Learn how to explicitly teach students the skills examiners reward at A* level: precision, application, data interpretation, synoptic thinking, and structured analysis. You’ll see how to scaffold these skills throughout the year and how to correct the mistakes that stop students reaching the top grades.

Independent Learning That Works
A* students take ownership of their learning,but they need to be taught how to do this. We’ll cover strategies to build academic independence, accountability, effective note making, and how to help students identify and close their own gaps.

Mindset for A* Success
Many students have the knowledge but not the confidence or habits needed for top grade performance. We’ll look at the mindset shifts that matter: resilience, iterative improvement, handling setbacks, and learning to embrace challenge.

Teaching Effective Revision Strategies
Students often revise, but don’t revise well. We’ll explore how to train them to use the right resources and how to divide their time between:
• understanding content
• active recall
• exam question practice
You’ll receive my recommended revision split and guidance for helping students personalise it based on their starting point.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a complete blueprint for helping your students unlock A* thinking, A* habits, and A* performance.

Session 3 | Teaching and Marking AQA A-level Required Practicals

📅 Wednesday, 25th March 2026
⏰ 4–5 PM

This session focuses on the strategy behind teaching AQA required practicals so you can deliver them confidently, reduce cognitive load for students, and track competencies to aid student progress.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

How to Select the Right Competency
A clear approach to deciding which CPAC(s) a practical should assess, and how to map these across the year to ensure full coverage with development. 

How to Structure a Required Practical Sequence
Learn how to plan a series of lessons around each practical so students build understanding step by step. We’ll cover pre-teaching, modelling variables and methods, and how to prepare students to collect valid and reliable data.

Recording Competency During the Practical
Know exactly what to look for during the lesson, how to record whether competency was demonstrated, and how to give quick, meaningful feedback without lengthy marking.

Efficient Tracking Systems
See how to track competencies across the year in a clear, manageable way using the AQA practical tracking template.

Free Resources and Support
All attendees will receive links to:
• my full Required Practical video library
• free teacher guides for each practical
• common exam questions linked to every practical
These resources allow you to revisit individual practicals any time without needing to cover all 12 in the session.

By the end of this session, you’ll have a clear, repeatable system for teaching, assessing, and tracking AQA required practicals, saving time, improving student understanding, and increasing confidence for both you and your learners.

Please note: This session is not accredited or affiliated with AQA. The content is based on my extensive experience teaching A-level students and as head of department during multiple AQA Practical Monitoring Visits.