Chemistry

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Aims & Philosophy

The aims of the chemistry department are to enable pupils to develop:

Aims:
	The basic chemical understanding needed to be effective and informed citizens;
	Their respect for the natural environment as well as their understanding of how chemistry can improve that environment;
	Their knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas at a level appropriate to further career aspirations and their own ability;
	Their enjoyment of scientific work;
	Their skills of scientific enquiry, including observation, measurement, safe working, investigation, problem solving and evaluation;

Course Content

Key Stage 3 Years 7 - 9 Major themes include: Obtaining pure substances from natural resources; Air and burning; Metals - their extraction and reactivity; Rocks - the structure of matter.

Key Stage 4 Years 10 - 11 Major themes include: Formulae and equations; Acids bases and salts; Energy and fuels; Atmosphere and pollution; Industrial chemistry; Organic chemistry; The Periodic table; Quantitative chemistry.

The Sixth Form AS-level and A level We follow the Edexcel (Nuffield) AS and A2-level course. This comprises 20 topics divided into six 'units' including a 'Special Study' on Biochemistry. There is no practical exam, practical skills being assessed during both the AS and A2 courses.

Individual 'Investigations' are undertaken by pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4 and at A level as part of their A2 coursework.

Resources

Chemistry is taught as a separate science from the very first year in the College by a team of graduate chemists. We have four Chemistry laboratories and our own laboratory technician, also a graduate. Sufficient apparatus is available to ensure that pupils can work individually when required and all laboratories have multimedia computers and data projectors networked to our own server. The department is well resourced with audio-visual equipment.

Achievements

The average external exam results for the last five years (4 years for AS level):

A level: 99% pass rate with 75% at A or B
AS level 98% pass rate with 74% at A or B
GCSE: 97% pass rate with 47% at A* or A
KS3 SATs Average level 6.4

In the Royal Society of Chemistry 'Top of the Bench' competition we were regional winners in Autumn 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2001 and went on to represent the South West region of the RSC in London in Spring 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2002. We won the team information gathering exercise in 1998. We won second prize in the region in 2003. In March 2002 we won the Salters Festival of Chemistry at Exeter University and were runners up in the 2004 festival at Plymouth University.