Welcome to the Chemistry Department
The Chemistry department is well equipped with three specialist labs.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, modules broadly follow but also extend the national framework for science produced by QCA. Study is also introduced of the AQA core GCSE Science Units which count towards the final GCSE examination grade.
The first Chemistry module teaches how rocks provide building materials and metals and how they are used, how we get fuels, polymers and ethanol from crude oil, the use of plant oils, and changes in the Earth and its atmosphere.
The second module includes discussion of sub-atomic particles, properties and uses of substances, rates of chemical reactions and energy release, and the use of ions in solutions.
The third module considers the periodic table, strong and weak acids and alkalis, what is in the water we drink, how much energy is involved in chemical reactions and how we identify and analyse substances.
GCSE Dual Science Award
This GCSE covers all three areas of science: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. A co-ordinated approach is used to teach the syllabus and each class is taught by a subject specialist. The level of difficulty is the same as in the three separate sciences and Dual Award is a good preparation for A Level Sciences. Some of the more challenging ideas deal with topics traditionally covered at the start of A Level courses. The practical coursework includes one whole investigation, and the course overall will stimulate your interest in scientific phenomena and raise your level of understanding. The GCSE grade will be reported as a double grade (eg AA). Every student must either chose to study the Dual Award Science GCSE or opt for the separate science course which is 3 GCSE grades.
GCSE Chemistry
Chemistry is the study of how the material world operates and how we make use of the way in which matter can be charged and rearranged to our material benefit. A separate GCSE in Chemistry is a good idea if you are planning a career in Veterinary, Medicine or related sciences. This course provides a better overview of the subject than the Dual Science Award, and may be a distinct advantage to those planning to study medical or veterinary science at university. In addition to the core Dual Award content you will cover topics such as organic chemistry, commerical applications of chemistry and the environmental implications of chemistry. The extra lesson time allocated to this course allows an extremely investigative, practical-based approach, with more time for individual project work.
A Level Chemistry
Chemistry is arguably the most ancient of human scientific activities after astronomy. It was Chemistry that brought human beings fire, and out of the Stone Age into the Iron and Bronze ages. The principles of chemical thought can be traced back to the early Greek philosophers, cultures of Arabia and Egypt and the activities of the ancient alchemists and metallurgists. Chemistry is fundamentally a practical science, that seeks understanding through investigation of the underlying principles and patterns that govern the behviour of all materials. There are 3 units of study in both years 12 and 13, including coursework in year 13.
Click here to view the exam board syllabus
