Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology Tuition
Specialist one-to-one online IAL Biology tuition with a current Pearson Edexcel Principal Examiner
Katrina Yerbury is a current Principal Examiner for Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology and GCE Biology, a highly experienced Biology teacher, and a former Head of Biology at Harrow School Online and Highgrove Education.
With more than 25 years of teaching experience, Katrina offers specialist online tuition for students studying Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology, including students aiming for A and A* grades.
Her tuition combines detailed subject teaching with extensive experience of assessment, helping students develop the biological understanding, application skills, written responses, and examination technique required at International A Level.
2024 International A Level Biology: 100% A*–A
Katrina's rate for International A Level Biology tuition is £87.50 per hour. Her availability is currently limited due to her examining duties.
Pearson Edexcel IAL Biology Tuition
Katrina teaches the full Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level Biology (YBI11) qualification, as well as the International Advanced Subsidiary qualification (XBI11).
She can support students across all six Pearson Edexcel IAL Biology units:
WBI11 – Unit 1: Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health
WBI12 – Unit 2: Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation
WBI13 – Unit 3: Practical Skills in Biology I
WBI14 – Unit 4: Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity
WBI15 – Unit 5: Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology
WBI16 – Unit 6: Practical Skills in Biology II
Tuition can support the full International A Level course or focus on individual units, difficult topics, examination preparation, resits, practical-skills questions, or areas where a student is consistently losing marks.
Students preparing for International AS Biology, individual IAL units, or the full International A Level can therefore work with Katrina on the exact part of the specification they are studying.
How International A Level Biology Tutorials Work
Lessons are live, one-to-one, and tailored to the student's Pearson Edexcel IAL Biology units and examination timetable.
Strong subject knowledge does not always translate automatically into strong examination results in Biology. Students also need to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar contexts, interpret experimental information and data, use precise biological terminology, and construct responses that answer exactly what the question requires.
Katrina's tutorials can therefore combine:
Clear teaching and consolidation of difficult biological concepts
Identification and correction of misconceptions
Application of knowledge to unfamiliar examination contexts
Pearson Edexcel IAL past-paper questions
Detailed feedback on written responses
Examination technique and command words
Data analysis and practical-skills questions
Preparation for individual units or resits
Targeted support in the areas where a student is losing marks
As a current Pearson Edexcel Principal Examiner, Katrina brings extensive assessment experience to her teaching while keeping the focus on genuine biological understanding and helping each student become a stronger, more independent Biology student.
Outstanding Results
Katrina’s students consistently achieve results far above national and international averages. When teaching at King Edward VI School her results were usually ranked the highest in a department of nine teachers. Recent Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology results from Harrow School Online include:
2024 – International A-Level Biology
100% A*-A
2023 – International A-Level Biology
78% A*-A
89% A*-B
At Harrow School Online, Katrina’s students achieved an average of 1.4 grades above their expected grades.
Students taught and mentored by Katrina have gone on to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Bristol, UCL, and King’s College London, among others.
About Katrina
Katrina is an experienced and highly qualified Biology teacher based in England, with over 25 years of teaching experience in leading independent and state schools.
She has held Head of Biology roles at Harrow School Online and Highgrove Education and has a strong track record of supporting students to excellent results. Students she has taught and mentored have gone on to Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, Bristol, UCL, King's College London, and other leading universities.
Katrina is a Principal Examiner for Pearson Edexcel GCE and International A Level Biology, holds a senior examining role with OCR for A Level Biology, and is an examiner for Cambridge International.
She is fully DBS checked and registered with the DBS Update Service.
Academic Background
Katrina holds a BSc Hons in Biology and Geography from the University of Bristol, as well as a PGCE from the University of Bristol in Science (Biology) and Games.
As a student herself, Katrina attended Sherborne School for Girls where she achieved the highest grades at A Level, including an S Level in Geography, and was also awarded the Geography Prize.
Teaching Experience
Katrina’s teaching career spans leading UK independent schools and online programmes, with extensive experience teaching A Level and Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology.
She has held Head of Biology roles at two respected institutions and brings over two decades of experience teaching students aged 11 to 18.
Current Principal Examiner for Pearson Edexcel International A Level and GCE Biology; Team Leader for OCR and Edexcel; Examiner for Cambridge International A Level Biology: Katrina has added skills content to the Biology IAL and Chemistry IAL textbooks published in 2019, and authored and reviewed content for public examinations and teaching materials.
Highgrove Education (most recent): Head of Biology, teaching students from Year 10 to Year 13. Katrina developed and delivered the Biology curriculum, including IAL and iGCSE Biology.
Harrow School Online: Head of Biology, guiding International A-Level students to exceptional outcomes. Her students regularly achieved top grades and won places at leading universities. In 2024, 100% of Katrina’s students achieved A*/A grades in their IALs.
King Edward VI School: Lead practitioner at this leading independent school (established in 1553), as a specialist A-level teacher for Biology, including responsibility for leading Biology Olympiad Competitions over her 16 year period working here. Katrina trained other teachers as part of her role as ITT/PGCE mentor. Her students’ results were consistently the highest at GCSE and A-level in the large science department.
Eltham College: Katrina taught Biology and Chemistry at this leading independent school from 2002 - 2005, with responsibility for practical biology at A-level.
These roles have provided Katrina with comprehensive expertise in both UK domestic and international A-Level curricula, enabling her to support students to excel, whichever qualification they pursue.
Oxbridge & Entrance Exam Preparation
Katrina has extensive experience preparing students for interviews at Oxford, Cambridge, and other competitive universities.
What Katrina's Biology Students Say
“To be honest, when I first came into the Sixth Form, I wasn’t particularly excited by Biology. But over the course of this year it has genuinely become one of my favourite subjects - and you have definitely had a key role to play in that. I love learning about the amazing world we live in and thank you for being so passionate about the subject and teaching it so well!
You’ve been a real inspiration to me and thank you for constantly finding new ways to make the lessons varied and interesting.
…. You’re an amazing teacher and your enthusiasm for Biology made A-level this year a really fun and engaging time in my life - and I’m certainly not going to be forgetting it any time soon. ”
— Emily
“Ms Yerbury finds creative ways to make every lesson feel fun! Her love for Biology comes through and this passion for the subject is what makes her a phenomenal teacher.”
“Always has a smile on her face; a kind and warm-hearted individual with the ability to add another dimension to our learning, super engaging!”
“The focus on how to tackle exam questions in live lessons has hugely improved my academic performance in biology. … Most of all, after sessions with Ms Yerbury, we always leave smiling.”
— Comments from Katrina’s students in anonymous end of year surveys
“I owe my top mark to Ms. Yerbury's strategic mind. She dedicated time to deconstructing mark schemes, showing me exactly how to earn every mark. Her focus on exam technique was as invaluable as her deep knowledge of biology. She has a fantastic ability to explain complex topics clearly and being taught by her was a genuine pleasure. The skills she teaches are invaluable, and her ability to connect with students makes her perfectly suited for one-on-one tuition. Any student would be lucky to have her as a tutor.”
— Natalie
“Thank you so much for all you’ve taught me these past two years. Your unwavering resilience and intelligence shone through your teaching, including our shared passion for the subject. Not only were our lessons well planned and productive, they also included elements of fun - and I now have some of the best memories to look back on.
I appreciate how much work you put into organising the lessons and am so grateful for the time you set aside to help us achieve our potential.
I have enjoyed my time in your class so much and thank you for helping to build a strong foundation of knowledge I can take with me in further studies. ”
— One of Katrina’s graduating A-level students
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Katrina is a current Principal Examiner for Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology and GCE Biology.
She also holds a senior examining role with OCR and has examined for Cambridge International, alongside more than 25 years of Biology teaching experience.
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Yes. Katrina offers one-to-one online tuition for students studying the full Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level Biology (YBI11) qualification.
She can support students across the complete course, individual units, specific difficult topics, examination preparation, and resits.
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Yes. Katrina can support students studying Pearson Edexcel International AS Biology (XBI11) as well as students progressing through the full International A Level.
Tuition can therefore be tailored to the particular units and examination series the student is preparing for.
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Katrina can support students across all six Pearson Edexcel IAL Biology units:
WBI11 – Molecules, Diet, Transport and Health
WBI12 – Cells, Development, Biodiversity and Conservation
WBI13 – Practical Skills in Biology I
WBI14 – Energy, Environment, Microbiology and Immunity
WBI15 – Respiration, Internal Environment, Coordination and Gene Technology
WBI16 – Practical Skills in Biology II
Students can work with Katrina across the full qualification or focus on one or more individual units.
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Yes. Katrina has extensive experience teaching high-attaining International A Level Biology students.
At Harrow School Online, 100% of Katrina’s IAL Biology students achieved A–A in 2024*. Tuition for students aiming for the highest grades can focus on precise biological understanding, application to unfamiliar contexts, data analysis, written responses, and examination technique.
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Yes. Past-paper questions can form an important part of Katrina’s tutorials.
Students can work on interpreting unfamiliar information, applying biological knowledge, answering command words accurately, improving written explanations, analysing data, and identifying where marks are being lost.
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Yes. Katrina can support students preparing for WBI15 Unit 5, including work connected with the scientific article and the wider biological knowledge and application skills required for the paper.
Support can be incorporated into regular tuition or used as focused preparation ahead of the examination.
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Yes. Tuition can be focused on an individual Pearson Edexcel IAL Biology unit rather than the entire qualification.
Katrina can identify areas where marks were previously lost, address underlying subject gaps or misconceptions, and use targeted past-paper work to prepare for the resit.
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Yes. Katrina’s tuition is delivered live and one-to-one online, making it suitable for students studying Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology both in the UK and overseas.
Lessons can be arranged around the student’s location, school programme, examination timetable, and current stage of the course.
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Yes. Katrina also teaches UK A Level Biology.
She is a Principal Examiner for Pearson Edexcel GCE Biology, holds a senior role with OCR, and has extensive classroom experience teaching A Level Biology. This page focuses primarily on Pearson Edexcel International A Level Biology, but UK A Level students can also enquire about tuition.
