Biology Tutor for Cardiff & South Wales Students — Expert Online A-Level Tuition From a Former WJEC Examiner
Specialist A-Level Biology tuition for students across Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, and South Wales. I am a former WJEC/Eduqas examiner and Chartered Biologist who spent 18 years teaching at Gower College Swansea — including 13 years on the WJEC specification that almost every Cardiff school and college uses. WJEC is headquartered right here in Cardiff, and nobody understands their papers better than a tutor who has marked them.
Last updated: February 2026
Why Cardiff Students Choose a Former WJEC Examiner for Biology Tuition
Cardiff is the capital of Wales and home to some of the country’s strongest schools and colleges. It is also home to WJEC — the exam board headquartered at 245 Western Avenue, Llandaff — which sets the Biology papers for virtually every state school and college in the city. If your child is studying A-Level Biology in Cardiff, the chances are overwhelming that they are sitting the WJEC specification.
That creates a unique challenge. Despite WJEC being the dominant exam board for every Welsh student, there are remarkably few tutors who have genuine, first-hand examiner experience with it. Most tutoring platforms are full of generalists who focus on AQA or Edexcel, and their knowledge of WJEC mark schemes, QER questions, and the unitised assessment structure that Welsh students follow is limited at best.
I spent 18 years teaching A-Level Biology at Gower College Swansea — around 13 of those years on the WJEC specification. I have also examined for both WJEC/Eduqas and Edexcel, which means I have sat in the marking rooms and applied the very mark schemes that determine your child’s grade. I know what earns marks and, just as importantly, what loses them.
My tuition is delivered entirely online from a purpose-built teaching studio with triple monitors, a professional graphics tablet, and a 1Gb internet connection. Every session is recorded so students can rewatch explanations during revision. I have been teaching online since 2015 — well before it became mainstream — and my 100% grade improvement rate has been built entirely through online delivery.
What My Students and Parents Say
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Google Areas Covered Across Cardiff & South Wales
All tuition is delivered online, so I work with students from across Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, and South Wales. Whether you are in the city centre, the northern suburbs, or one of the surrounding towns, you get the same expert tuition from a WJEC specialist.
South Wales coverage: I also tutor students across the Vale of Glamorgan, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Newport, and into Bridgend and the Valleys. Online tuition means distance is never a barrier — whether your child attends Cardiff High School, Whitchurch High School, Cardiff and Vale College, or a school in a smaller town, they get the same level of specialist WJEC expertise.
Meet Your Biology Tutor: Tyrone
- 🎓 Chartered Biologist (CBiol) — Royal Society of Biology
- 🔬 Member of the Royal Society of Biology (MRSB)
- 📋 Former Examiner — WJEC/Eduqas & Edexcel
- 🏫 18 Years at Gower College Swansea (13 Years WJEC, 5 Years AQA)
- 📜 BSc Immunology — King’s College London
- 🧬 Research Degree — Molecular Pharmacology, Newcastle University
- 📖 PGCE — University of Wales
- 📈 100% Grade Improvement Rate Across All Students
My Qualifications and Certificates
Thank You Cards from Students
These are just a few of the thank you messages I have received from students and parents over the years. They mean more to me than any qualification.
How I Help Cardiff A-Level Biology Students Succeed
WJEC Examiner Insight
As a former examiner for WJEC/Eduqas, I know exactly how the QER (Quality of Extended Response) questions are marked — the banded mark scheme, the requirement for sequential reasoning, and the precise scientific vocabulary that separates Band 2 from Band 3. I train Cardiff students to answer these questions the way examiners expect.
Targeted Grade Recovery
Many Cardiff students come to me after disappointing mock results or a poor AS performance. I diagnose exactly where the gaps are — whether that is content knowledge, exam technique, or both — and build a focused plan to close them. Every student I have worked with has improved their grade.
Unit 5 Practical Assessment
WJEC Biology includes a formal practical assessment (Unit 5) worth 10% of the A-Level grade — unlike England’s pass/fail endorsement. This unit directly affects your child’s grade, and I help students prepare for both the Experimental Task and the Practical Analysis Task.
Recorded Sessions & Student Portal
Every session is recorded so students can rewatch explanations during revision. My dedicated student portal provides topic notes, past paper questions by topic, revision notes, and activity workbooks — all tailored to the WJEC specification.
Tuition Options
Supporting Cardiff Students’ University Ambitions
Cardiff is home to two universities and within easy reach of several more. Many of my students are working towards competitive offers in Medicine, Dentistry, Biomedical Science, and the Biological Sciences. Strong A-Level Biology grades are essential, and understanding the WJEC specification inside out is the key to achieving them.
Cardiff University (Russell Group)
Medicine: AAA | Dentistry: AAA | Biomedical Sciences: AAB–ABB | Biological Sciences: AAB–BBB
A Russell Group university with an outstanding medical school and one of the UK’s strongest biosciences departments. Medicine and Dentistry both require A-Level Biology and Chemistry plus a strong UCAT score. Cardiff accepts the Welsh Baccalaureate / Skills Challenge Certificate in place of one A-Level for many courses, and offers contextualised (lower) offers for Welsh-domiciled students.
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Biomedical Science: 112–120 points | Sport & Exercise Science: 128–136 points
Cardiff Met offers strong applied bioscience and sport science programmes with excellent NHS and industry placement links. Their Biomedical Science programme is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology. Foundation year pathways are available for students who need additional support.
University of South Wales
Biology: CCC | Biomedical Science: CCC | Medical Sciences: BBB
USW’s Medical Sciences programme is a particularly strong option for students who aspire to medicine — it feeds directly into Cardiff University’s Graduate Entry Medicine programme. Campuses at Treforest and Newport are easily accessible from Cardiff.
Swansea University
Biology: ABB–BBB | Marine Biology: ABB–BBB | Medical Biochemistry: AAB–BCC
Just an hour west of Cardiff, Swansea is a popular choice for Cardiff students. Its Medical Biochemistry programme guarantees an interview for Graduate Entry Medicine on successful completion, and its Marine Biology programme benefits from the Gower coastline.
Strong A-Level Biology grades also open doors to Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Oxford, Cambridge, and other leading universities. Whatever the target, I help students achieve the grades they need.
Exam Boards Used by Cardiff & South Wales Schools
WJEC — The Standard Across Welsh State Schools
WJEC is the designated awarding body for state-funded schools and colleges across Wales. This means virtually every Cardiff student studying A-Level Biology in a state school — from Whitchurch High School and Cardiff High to Cardiff and Vale College and St David’s Catholic College — sits WJEC papers. I taught the WJEC specification for around 13 years and have examined for WJEC/Eduqas, so I know these papers from both sides of the desk.
Eduqas — The English-Regulated WJEC Brand
Eduqas is WJEC’s brand for qualifications regulated by Ofqual (England). The content is broadly identical to WJEC, but the assessment structure differs — Eduqas is linear (all exams at the end) while WJEC is unitised (AS in Year 12, A2 in Year 13). Some independent schools in the Cardiff area may use Eduqas. As a former Eduqas examiner, I cover both versions.
AQA, OCR, Edexcel & International Boards
A small number of independent schools in Cardiff — such as Cardiff Sixth Form College, Howell’s School, and St John’s College — may use AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Cambridge International (CIE 9700), or IB Biology. I cover all of these comprehensively. I taught AQA full-time for over 5 years at Gower College.
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Tuition Fees for Cardiff & South Wales Students
One-to-One Tuition
Small Group Tuition
The UK average for A-Level Biology tutoring is around £30–£50 per hour. My fees reflect the level of expertise I bring — Chartered Biologist status, examiner experience across two boards, over 25 years of classroom teaching, and a decade of online tuition experience. Every student I have worked with has improved their grade. I offer a free 20-minute consultation so you can see if I am the right fit before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions — Biology Tuition in Cardiff
Almost every state school and college in Cardiff uses the WJEC specification for A-Level Biology. WJEC papers include QER (Quality of Extended Response) questions worth 9 marks each, which are marked using a banded mark scheme rather than point-per-mark. Two students can include the same biological facts but score in completely different bands based on how they structure their answer. As a former WJEC/Eduqas examiner, I have applied these banded mark schemes myself and can train your child to hit Band 3 consistently. Most tutors on generic platforms have never seen a WJEC mark scheme, let alone marked one.
The UK average for A-Level Biology tutoring is around £30 to £50 per hour. My one-to-one rate is £80 per hour on weekdays and £120 per hour at weekends, which reflects the level of expertise I bring — Chartered Biologist status, examiner experience for WJEC/Eduqas and Edexcel, over 25 years of classroom teaching, and a purpose-built online teaching studio. Every session includes access to a student portal with topic notes, past papers by topic, and recorded session videos. Small group tuition is available from £50 per hour per student (minimum 4 students). I also offer a free 20-minute consultation so you can assess whether I am the right fit.
WJEC and Eduqas are both run by the same organisation (WJEC CBAC Ltd, headquartered in Cardiff), but they serve different regulatory systems. WJEC qualifications are regulated by Qualifications Wales and are the version used in Welsh state schools. Eduqas qualifications are regulated by Ofqual and are used in England. The curriculum content is broadly identical, but the assessment structure differs significantly: WJEC is unitised (AS in Year 12, A2 in Year 13 with 5 units including a formal practical assessment), while Eduqas is linear (3 components all examined at the end of the course). I have examined for both and cover both versions comprehensively.
Absolutely. With the right approach, most students can improve significantly. I have a 100% grade improvement rate across all students I have worked with. One parent, Penny, contacted me because her son was predicted a C or D — he went on to achieve a high B that stunned his school teachers. The key is diagnosing exactly where the gaps are, building a targeted plan, and focusing on both content knowledge and exam technique. Even students who come to me late in Year 13 can make meaningful progress. I offer a free 20-minute consultation to assess where the student is and build a realistic improvement plan.
I work with students from across Cardiff and South Wales. Because all my tuition is online, I am not limited by geography. I have worked with students from schools and colleges including Cardiff and Vale College, St David’s Catholic College, Whitchurch High School, Cardiff High School, Llanishen High School, and schools across the Vale of Glamorgan including Cowbridge Comprehensive and Stanwell School in Penarth. I also work with students from the Welsh-medium schools (Ysgol Glantaf, Plasmawr, Bro Edern) and from independent schools such as Cardiff Sixth Form College. Whatever your school, if your child is studying A-Level Biology, I can help.
Yes. I offer a free 20-minute video consultation where we can discuss the student’s current grade, target grade, exam board, and any specific areas they are struggling with. There is no obligation to book after the consultation — it is simply a chance to see if I am the right fit. You can book a consultation here.
I am a fully qualified teacher with a PGCE from the University of Wales. I hold Chartered Biologist status (CBiol) with the Royal Society of Biology, which is the highest professional recognition in the biological sciences. I am a former examiner for both WJEC/Eduqas and Edexcel, and I have over 25 years of teaching experience including 18 years at Gower College Swansea. My academic background includes a BSc in Immunology from King’s College London and a research degree in Molecular Pharmacology from Newcastle University. You can read more on my about page.
WJEC Biology includes a formal practical assessment (Unit 5) worth 10% of the total A-Level grade. This is different from England, where the practical endorsement is a simple pass/fail. Unit 5 has two parts: an Experimental Task (20 marks) and a Practical Analysis Task (30 marks). The topic areas are shared with schools early in the spring term each year. Because this unit directly affects the student’s grade (not just a pass/fail endorsement), preparation is essential. I help students understand practical technique, data analysis, and how to structure their responses for maximum marks.
Ready to Improve Your Biology Grade?
Book a free 20-minute consultation to discuss your needs, your exam board, and how I can help you achieve the grade you are aiming for.
Book Your Free ConsultationDisclaimer: The information provided on this page is intended for educational guidance only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Biology Education and its author accept no responsibility for individual exam outcomes. Students are advised to consult their own teachers, tutors, and official exam board resources as part of their revision.