Chemistry is an excellent preparation for you if you are looking to extend your understanding of a key physical science. It is a central science which opens up the possibility of a huge range of science-related university courses and jobs. These include medicine and health-related professions such as dentistry, pharmacy veterinary sciences etc., as well as chemical engineering, optometry and courses that overlap with maths and physics. A Level of Chemistry blends particularly well with other science subjects such as Physics and Biology. You may also take it as a complementary course alongside other choices. If you are interested in how things work and why materials behave as they do then chemistry is for you. You will be taught in one of our two specialist laboratories: both are equipped with fume cupboards and interactive whiteboards and the sort of glassware and equipment that you would expect to find in new, purpose-built, laboratories. The course will develop your practical skills. These are an essential and an assessed, part of the course. There is also a well-equipped central computer area that is shared across the science department. You will be helped in your studies by a team of experienced teaching staff who have many successful years of experience in A-level teaching, and a technician team who know how to handle the demands of practical work. All of our Chemistry teachers come from a background with industrial experience, with several of our staff educated to PhD level. Most of our courses are led by a single teacher or a team of two teachers. Each of the four lessons in the week is 70 minutes long and is built around a mixture of theory and practical sessions. Our teaching is structured around the usual pattern of a starter, main content and then a plenary. We help you check your learning through regular tests and use feedback to help guide improvements and to stretch and challenge all. We have a very active support programme too. This means that you will find a group of Chemistry students in the labs at lunchtime for extra support or challenge with one or two of our staff, please come and join them once you start your course. We supply you with textbooks and some revision guides for the duration of the course. We use AQA Chemistry by Ted Lister and Janet Renshaw (ISBN-13: 978-0-1983-5181-8). You will also be provided with past exam paper booklets during the year. PAPER 1 (35% OF A LEVEL) PHYSICAL AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY YEAR 1 – PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY • Atomic structure • Amount of substance • Bonding • Energetics • Oxidation, reduction and redox equations YEAR 1 – INORGANIC CHEMISTRY • Periodicity • Group 2, the alkaline earth metals • Group 7(17), the halogens YEAR 2 – PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY • Thermodynamics • Equilibrium constant Kp for homogeneous systems • Electrode potentials and electrochemical cells • Acids and bases YEAR 2 – INORGANIC CHEMISTRY • Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides • Transition metals • Reactions of ions in aqueous solution PAPER 2 (35% OF A LEVEL) PHYSICAL AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY YEAR 1 – PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY • Amount of substance, Bonding, Energetics and Chemical equilibria • Kinetics YEAR 1 – ORGANIC CHEMISTRY • Introduction to organic chemistry • Alkanes; Halogenoalkanes; Alkenes; Alcohols • Organic analysis YEAR 2 – PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY Rate equations: Simple rate equations Determination of rate equation. YEAR 2 – ORGANIC CHEMISTRY • Optical isomerism • Aldehydes and ketones; Carboxylic acids and derivatives; Aromatic chemistry; Amines; Amino acids, proteins and DNA • Polymers • Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy • Chromatography PAPER 3 (30% OF A LEVEL) INVESTIGATIVE AND PRACTICAL SKILLS • Titration-based practical skills • Wet analysis • Organic Synthesis