A Level - Chemistry

Chemistry is all around you. From the fibres that wick away moisture in your clothing to the purified water in your bottle, chemistry can be found in nearly every part of our modern life. It is considered to be the central science because it links the other science-based subjects and concerns all aspects of everyday life – the food we eat, the sports equipment that we use, the medicine we take. While there are many reasons to study this fascinating subject, numerous transferable skills are developed within the A Level Chemistry curriculum that are of use in many fields of study. Consequently, Chemistry is particularly favoured by university admissions tutors for non-scientific subjects, who often consider it to be a good indication of an applicant’s wider ability and intellect.

Particularly good combinations of subjects with Chemistry at A Level are Biology, Economics, Geography, Mathematics and Physics. If you are concentrating on Humanities or Languages and wish to broaden your studies Chemistry is an excellent option. The ideal chemist is mathematically confident with a good grasp of English and will have achieved at least a 7 in GCSE Chemistry or 7-7 in Double Award Science.

Find out more about our Chemistry A Level, including course content and assessment, here: 6th Form Subject Options Brochure.

In the Science Department, learning does not stop when pupils leave the classroom, and we provide a multitude of extra activities for interested pupils to get involved with. We believe that it is vital that pupil enthusiasm be fuelled, and that some of the best learning happens outside of the classroom when pupils are passionate about the subjects they are studying.

Chemistry-based activities have included the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills by taking part in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge and the RSC Chemistry Olympiad. We like to get involved in practical laboratory-based events, such as the RSC Schools Analyst competition for Lower 6th Form pupils, and for budding chemists lower down the school we enter the RSC Top of the Bench competition.

In addition to subject-specific activities and events, the department facilitates an ever-evolving programme of activities designed to inspire and enthuse. Recent examples of these include:

• STEM Club: Pupils are given the opportunity to take part in a variety of experiments from across all areas of STEM, with activities ranging from extracting essential oils, electroplating and tardigrade hunting.  Pupils also investigate pseudoscience, and the situations that lead people to misinterpret the scientific method.
• Local trips to Oxford Science Museum for 4th Form, Cadbury World for 3rd Form and New Scientist Live for the 1st and 2nd Forms.
• All 6th Form scientists and psychologists attended the 2021 UNESCO virtual conference celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science: “Women Scientists at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19".