Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of reactions between molecules. The subject is usually taught by three different teachers at A level, each one specialising in one particular module. Teaching the subject are Mr Ashton, Mr Bretherton, Ms Heartly, Mrs Weir and the infamous Miss Bowden.

The three modules studied are examined in different papers which are only taken in the summer. Also included is a Practical Exam which is counted as part of the module three paper. The three modules studied at AS are:

Module 1 - Boring Chemistry Module 2 - Inorganic Chemistry Module 3 - Organic Chemistry

Be warned, if you believe that you can take up Chemistry at AS as easily as at GCSE then you may well be in for a shock. Module 1, taught by Mr Ashton or Mr Bretherton, is a maths heavy module that requires a great amount of number crunching and memorising of formulas. In the 2005-2007 intake of chemistry the number of students resiting this exam was well over 70% of those taking the subject.

The modules at A2 are practically identical to AS and are taught in the same way by the same teachers. The only difference is the inclusion of the dreaded Synoptic Paper as module 6.

Module 4 - Further Boring and Inorganic Chemisty Module 5 - Further Organic Chemistry and Practical Exam Module 6 - Synoptic Paper

It is well known in the chemisty department that there is a heavy deteriation in the marks from AS to A2; people getting an A or B at AS may well find themselves being hit with a D at A2. The lone exception to this rule is Josh Cadney who scored straight As at AS and then went one step further by getting perfect UMS scores for all written papers at A2.