Vision

To produce independent, knowledgeable and skilled chemists who possess disciplinary skills to prepare them for their next steps.

Curriculum Overview

• Develop knowledge of key chemical principles, develop practical skills, encourage a curiosity of the subject and evolve problem-solving skills 

• New centralised curriculum that is well sequenced that contains retrieval of key knowledge, assesses students learning throughout a lesson and teachers adapt to AfL 

• Key homework is set each topic to assess key principles and students self-assess to find gaps in their knowledge and understanding  

• Support students with a 3-tiered approach to intervention: Quality teaching first, targeted support and then twilight intervention 

• Key teacher assigned to each class  

Sequencing, Setting and Support

Teacher A covers Organic Chemistry in Year 12 and Year 13. Teacher B covers Inorganic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry in Year 12 and Year 13. 

We currently follow the order of the textbook as ideas follow a logical structure.

We do not have setting within A-Level Chemistry. Instead groups are determined by option blocks.  

We have undertaken joint planning to ensure our lessons contain aspects of the Rosenshine Principles and Daniel’s 4 domains theory. We really value these pedagogical techniques as we feel it creates successful students. Our lessons begin with retrieval practice, then solidify the essential prior knowledge. We then introduce new knowledge that is chunked. We check for understanding at all stages within a lesson. Where appropriate, we will model and provide scaffolds for difficult tasks. We also want students to have lots of chance of independent practice. We set key homework, provide proof of studies, summary documents and knowledge organisers. We also run twilight sessions for students who are underperforming in tests or with their work rate completion.  

Alive Themes in Chemistry

Assessment in Chemistry

Homework and how Parents/Carers Support Learning

All homework is set on Bromcom, which is an app and website available to students and parents/carers. Further information is available on our Homework page.

These are the principles which underpin our homework.

Homework can take various forms:

1. Preparing for practicals or completing practical write-ups 

2. Completion of summary questions, textbook questions or activities.  

3. We also set 1 key homework per topic in which students self assess their work. 

4. We set homework on Bromcom and students have Kerboodle accounts.  

Parents and carers can support the completion of homework by:

1. Checking Bromcom 

2. Recording students' username and passwords for Bromcom and Kerboodle.

Useful Chemistry Resources

Making a head start with Chemistry 

This is a resource available to you to give you a Head Start to A-Level Chemistry  

Reading around the subject  

1. Periodic Tales: The Curious Lives of the Elements by Hugh Aldersley-Williams (ISBN-10: 0141041455)  

2. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean (ISBN-10: 0316388270)  

3. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (ISBN-10: 9781784161859)  

4. The Periodic Table by Primo Levi (ISBN-10: 0141185147) 

5. Bad Science   

Videos/TV Programs  

1. Chemistry: A Volatile History – found on BBC iPlayer  

2. The Modern Alchemist – A Royal Institution Christmas Lecture - https://www.rigb.org/christmaslectures/watch/2012/the-modern-alchemist  

3. Subscribe to ‘Machemguy’ on YouTube who has created a ‘Prep for A-level Chemistry’ playlist