Chemistry

Level 3 Pathway - In order to enrol onto our Level 3 courses, students must have achieved a minimum of 5 grade 4s at GCSE Level across 4 different subject areas; this should ideally include a Grade 4 for English Language and Mathematics.

It is important that students also pay attention to any individual subject entry requirements.

It may be that a small number of students are recommended to sit AS qualifications at the end of Year 12 in order to inform decisions about progression into Year 13, however these AS examinations are standalone and do not contribute to the overall A Level qualification.

Why?

Chemistry is the study of the materials that make up everything. This ranges from plastics and metals to medicines and living things. It links well with biology, physics, geography and maths but can be studied independent of these. Chemists are involved in the design of everything you use and work in fields vital to the future; climate change, energy, food production and water. Employment prospects include healthcare, finance, communication and security. The scale of chemistry rangtes from the study of sub-atomic particles as small as an electron to designing and operating oil refineries, power stations and space exploration. As well as learning information to understand these areas, studying chemistry will develop highly-sought skills of problem solving and logic.

Course structure

Both years of chemistry are split into 3 main topic areas; physical, inorganic and organic.

During Year 1, physical chemistry covers the structure of the atom, bonding, energy changes, measuring amounts, equilibrium reactions and rates of reaction. Inorganic chemistry covers patters in the Periodic Table, Groups 2 and 7. Organic chemistry is the study of the compounds of carbon including alkanes, alkenes, halogenoalkanes and alchols.

Year 2 builds further on the topics in Year 1 as well as the chemistry of batteries, acids, bases and buffer solutions, the transition metals and many more organic molecules including aromatics, amino acids, proteins, DNA and polymers. Chromatography is also studied in more detail than at GCSE in Year 2 of the cours.

Assessment:

Paper 1 - 2 hours (105 marks) worth 35% of A level. This will assess inorganic and physical chemistry including any relevant practicals.

Paper 2 - 2 hours (105 marks) worth 35% of A level. This will assess organic and physical chemistry including any relevant practicals.

Paper 3 - 2 hours (90 marks) worth 30% of A level. This will be synoptic (anything from the course could be covered) including any relevant practicals.

Extended learning

There will be a set of prescribed tasks to be completed at home. In addition each teacher sets work specific to the lesson and group, this may be extended reading, writing notes, completing end of chapter questions or preparing for practical work. Students also have booklets of past papers with mark-schemes which are also used as extended learning during revision periods.

Chemistry is hard work but it is also highly rewarding.

Ideally grade 6 / 6 GCSE Combined Science or Grade 6 GCSE Chemistry plus, ideally, Grade 6 GCSE Mathematics. Students not meeting these criteria may be accepted after interview.