From the moment you are born, and throughout your life, you are surrounded by chemistry – the air you breathe, the food you eat and the clothes you wear – they’re all chemistry. Chemistry is the study of substances: what they are made of, how they interact with each other and the role they play in living things. Whether you want to care for penguin colonies in Antarctica or work in a dynamic business environment, Chemistry can help you achieve your goals. Chemistry is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigational skills. It is often called the central science, as chemical principles underpin both the physical environment in which we live and all biological systems. A diverse range of activities will be carried out in lessons: practical procedures to learn new laboratory skills, the discussion of theoretical concepts and calculations to quantify our observations. You will have the opportunity to participate in a range of enrichment opportunities, including the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and Chemistry Olympiad, enabling you to develop your understanding beyond the examined material. In school, there are also clubs to get involved in, such as Science Club. The study of Chemistry through the IB enables you to make links between the theory and practical skills you are developing with applications in the wider world. The course exemplifies how scientific methodology helps us understand the Theory of Knowledge in addition to developing a greater understanding of the Nature of Science. The IB course starts with a revision of the key skills developed at GCSE. Calculations are developed to include more challenging examples and theoretical models are extended to include more detailed ideas about atomic structure and bonding. Through practical work, you will learn about the uncertainties in measurement and gain an appreciation of how confident we can be of experimental results. The foundations of organic chemistry laid at GCSE will be extended by examining functional groups, and our understanding of their chemical behaviour, through the examination of reaction mechanisms. Analytical techniques are used to identify unknown organic compounds. While the skills and activities of IB Chemistry are common to students at both SL and HL, students at HL are required to study some topics in greater depth through the additional higher-level (AHL) material. The distinction between SL and HL is one of breadth and depth.
For popular courses such as Economics, English Literature, History, Medicine, or Psychology, all of the competitive universities require at least grade AAA at A Level or, usually, a score of 37-39 IB points; the most competitive require A*AA (or even occasionally A*A*A) or 7 points in one or more HL subject. Universities such as Bath, Bristol, Durham, Imperial, Manchester, UCL and Warwick may also require A*AA or 7 points in an HL subject for courses in Sciences, Engineering or Mathematics; a few of these courses will require IB students to have 7 points in a specific HL Science or Mathematics and A Level students to have A* in a specific Science or Mathematics. Cambridge currently requires a minimum of A Level grades of A*AA for all Arts courses and for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, and A*A*A for all Science courses, Computer Science and Economics. Irrespective of course, the standard IB requirement is 40-42 points, including 776 in the three Higher Level subjects. In practice, however, higher (or lower) offers are sometimes made to both A Level and IB students; these are decided on an individual basis. Oxford currently requires A Level grades of AAA for all Arts courses and for Human Sciences, A*AA for most Science courses, Economics and Management, Geography, and Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics, and A*A*A for Chemistry, Engineering and Mathematics courses. Irrespective of course, the standard IB requirement is 38-40 points with 666-776 in the three Higher Level subjects. Unlike at Cambridge, these entry requirements are standardised across the university and are rarely raised or lowered.
You will be examined at the end of the second year, and there are two examination papers. Paper 1 is composed of two sections: Section A, a multiple choice paper, and Section B, made up of data-based and experimental questions. Paper 2 contains a variety of structured questions. In addition, both SL and HL students will complete a hands-on laboratory investigation, marked by their teacher and moderated by an external examiner. This provides you with the opportunity to explore an area of chemistry which you would like to learn more about whilst developing the key skills of scientific investigation. It is assessed according to four criteria: design, analysis, conclusion and evaluation.
About Education Provider
| Region | London |
| Local Authority | Hammersmith and Fulham |
| Ofsted Rating | |
| Gender Type | Girls |
| ISI Report | View Report |
| Boarding Fee | Unknown |
| Sixth Form Fee | £26,831 |
| Address | Iffley Road, Hammersmith, London, W6 0PG |
From the moment you are born, and throughout your life, you are surrounded by chemistry – the air you breathe, the food you eat and the clothes you wear – they’re all chemistry. Chemistry is the study of substances: what they are made of, how they interact with each other and the role they play in living things. Whether you want to care for penguin colonies in Antarctica or work in a dynamic business environment, Chemistry can help you achieve your goals. Chemistry is an experimental science that combines academic study with the acquisition of practical and investigational skills. It is often called the central science, as chemical principles underpin both the physical environment in which we live and all biological systems. A diverse range of activities will be carried out in lessons: practical procedures to learn new laboratory skills, the discussion of theoretical concepts and calculations to quantify our observations. You will have the opportunity to participate in a range of enrichment opportunities, including the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and Chemistry Olympiad, enabling you to develop your understanding beyond the examined material. In school, there are also clubs to get involved in, such as Science Club. The study of Chemistry through the IB enables you to make links between the theory and practical skills you are developing with applications in the wider world. The course exemplifies how scientific methodology helps us understand the Theory of Knowledge in addition to developing a greater understanding of the Nature of Science. The IB course starts with a revision of the key skills developed at GCSE. Calculations are developed to include more challenging examples and theoretical models are extended to include more detailed ideas about atomic structure and bonding. Through practical work, you will learn about the uncertainties in measurement and gain an appreciation of how confident we can be of experimental results. The foundations of organic chemistry laid at GCSE will be extended by examining functional groups, and our understanding of their chemical behaviour, through the examination of reaction mechanisms. Analytical techniques are used to identify unknown organic compounds. While the skills and activities of IB Chemistry are common to students at both SL and HL, students at HL are required to study some topics in greater depth through the additional higher-level (AHL) material. The distinction between SL and HL is one of breadth and depth.
For popular courses such as Economics, English Literature, History, Medicine, or Psychology, all of the competitive universities require at least grade AAA at A Level or, usually, a score of 37-39 IB points; the most competitive require A*AA (or even occasionally A*A*A) or 7 points in one or more HL subject. Universities such as Bath, Bristol, Durham, Imperial, Manchester, UCL and Warwick may also require A*AA or 7 points in an HL subject for courses in Sciences, Engineering or Mathematics; a few of these courses will require IB students to have 7 points in a specific HL Science or Mathematics and A Level students to have A* in a specific Science or Mathematics. Cambridge currently requires a minimum of A Level grades of A*AA for all Arts courses and for Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, and A*A*A for all Science courses, Computer Science and Economics. Irrespective of course, the standard IB requirement is 40-42 points, including 776 in the three Higher Level subjects. In practice, however, higher (or lower) offers are sometimes made to both A Level and IB students; these are decided on an individual basis. Oxford currently requires A Level grades of AAA for all Arts courses and for Human Sciences, A*AA for most Science courses, Economics and Management, Geography, and Psychology, Philosophy & Linguistics, and A*A*A for Chemistry, Engineering and Mathematics courses. Irrespective of course, the standard IB requirement is 38-40 points with 666-776 in the three Higher Level subjects. Unlike at Cambridge, these entry requirements are standardised across the university and are rarely raised or lowered.
You will be examined at the end of the second year, and there are two examination papers. Paper 1 is composed of two sections: Section A, a multiple choice paper, and Section B, made up of data-based and experimental questions. Paper 2 contains a variety of structured questions. In addition, both SL and HL students will complete a hands-on laboratory investigation, marked by their teacher and moderated by an external examiner. This provides you with the opportunity to explore an area of chemistry which you would like to learn more about whilst developing the key skills of scientific investigation. It is assessed according to four criteria: design, analysis, conclusion and evaluation.
