Everything you see, touch, taste, or smell, involves Chemistry in some way. Chemists will be responsible for solving many global problems – finding alternatives to plastics, making better batteries, developing effective medicines and tackling climate change.
In the Chemistry department we aim to encourage independent thinking whilst gaining knowledge and understanding of the theory and application of fundamental chemical ideas. The curriculum is planned to allow these ideas to develop over Years 7-13.
From Year 9, Chemistry is taught as a separate subject by Chemistry specialists. The Year 9 course is designed to bridge between KS3 and GCSE and to develop students’ practical skills. The topics taught include an exploration of the various types of chemical reactions, a journey through the reactivity series, acids and alkalis and environmental chemistry.
At GCSE we follow the AQA specification. This covers topics such as Atomic structure and the Periodic Table, Bonding, Quantitative chemistry, Energy changes, The rate and extent of chemical change, Organic chemistry, Chemical analysis and Chemistry of the atmosphere.
Chemistry A Level is a popular choice and students often take this in combination with other Science subjects. We follow the Edexcel specification.
The study of Chemistry develops intellectual and practical skills. It will allow students to develop as independent thinkers with sharp problem-solving skills. This in turn provides a firm foundation for those progressing to a wide range of courses in higher education and ultimately, exceptional preparation for a large number of careers including Chemical Engineering, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Pharmacy, Law, Dentistry, Environmental Health, Commerce and many more far beyond the obvious careers of Research and Industry.
We encourage students of all year groups to take part in the many challenges and competitions we offer and we have a history of success. This includes the Chemistry Olympiad, Top of the Bench (national finalists), the Youth STEMM award, Salters’ Festivals of Chemistry and the Schools’ Analyst competition.