The Chemistry department aims to provide pupils with an enjoyable, purposeful and safe experience of chemistry and to allow them to appreciate how chemistry impacts on them as individuals and the world around them. It is taught as a separate subject from Year 7 and we hope this allows each pupil to get a sense of the individual subject, rather than science in general. This also affords us the ability of having chemistry taught by subject specialists throughout the School. The department seeks to provide the teaching, facilities and courses which support the best environment for learning, one in which pupils feel comfortable to challenge themselves intellectually and to be supported and safe when they are prepared to take risks in their learning. Along with the other sciences, Chemistry is a renowned strength of the School, and popular amongst girls and boys. Many are inspired by the focus on practical work and gain confidence by perfecting their skills and gain a real enjoyment from experimentation. We encourage our pupils to study in areas of the subject beyond the specification, and this breadth of knowledge enables them to participate successfully in several competitions, including the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Olympiad, Young Analyst and Top of the Bench competitions and the Salters’ Festival. Chemistry is housed in four specialist laboratories and these are resourced and supported by two experienced technicians who work from a well-run prep room. GCSE We follow the Edexcel GCSE specification for most pupils. The course develops an increasingly sophisticated theoretical understanding of Chemistry while continuing to emphasise the practical foundations of the subject and its vital contribution to contemporary society. The key concepts of atomic structure, bonding and periodicity are introduced and then used as the basis for extending the study of the elements. Basic ideas on rates of reaction and organic chemistry are introduced and there is a more quantitative element to the course in the form of mole calculations and equilibria. As with the other sciences, a few take combined science GCSEs, but are still taught Chemistry as a separate subject. A LEVEL Chemistry in the Sixth Form is very popular and, in recent years, demand for the subject has grown significantly. The course is divided traditionally into the Physical, Inorganic and Organic strands of the subject together with a healthy dose of traditional investigative chemistry with tasks that range from making their own aspirin to identifying unknown compounds. The Year 13 course is a more advanced treatment of the ideas studied in Year 12, but good mathematical skills become especially important as pupils begin to draw quantitative conclusions in their work as opposed to the more qualitative ones required in the early part of the course.
Places for entry into Year 12 will be offered on the basis of a satisfactory report from the pupil’s present school and a series of short interviews with the Headmaster or one of the Deputy Heads, the Head of Sixth Form or a Senior Sixth Form Tutor, and two subject interviews with Heads of Departments. Pupils looking to join the Sixth Form must reach a minimum target for entry, consisting of: GCSE grade 4 or IGCSE grade 4 or C or above in English Language and Mathematics (grades 6 or B or above are preferable). A minimum point score of 54 (taken from the 9 best subjects including English Language and Mathematics) with points taken at face value for numerical grades or for alphabetical grades as follows: 8 points for an A*, 7 for an A, 6 for a B, and 5 for a C. Short courses and grades below 4 or C are not counted for the purposes of entry scores It is recommended that pupils also gain GCSE grade 7 or IGCSE grade 7 or A or above in the subjects chosen for A Level or in allied subjects for A Levels that were not studied at GCSE (eg Physics for Electronics)
The course develops an increasingly sophisticated theoretical understanding of Chemistry while continuing to emphasise the practical foundations of the subject and its vital contribution to contemporary society. The key concepts of atomic structure, bonding and periodicity are introduced and then used as the basis for extending the study of the elements. Basic ideas on rates of reaction and organic chemistry are introduced and there is a more quantitative element to the course in the form of mole calculations and equilibria.
About Education Provider
| Region | South West |
| Local Authority | Bath and North East Somerset |
| Ofsted Rating | |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| ISI Report | View Report |
| Boarding Fee | Unknown |
| Sixth Form Fee | £16,950 - £17,250 |
| Address | North Road, Bath, BA2 6HU |
The Chemistry department aims to provide pupils with an enjoyable, purposeful and safe experience of chemistry and to allow them to appreciate how chemistry impacts on them as individuals and the world around them. It is taught as a separate subject from Year 7 and we hope this allows each pupil to get a sense of the individual subject, rather than science in general. This also affords us the ability of having chemistry taught by subject specialists throughout the School. The department seeks to provide the teaching, facilities and courses which support the best environment for learning, one in which pupils feel comfortable to challenge themselves intellectually and to be supported and safe when they are prepared to take risks in their learning. Along with the other sciences, Chemistry is a renowned strength of the School, and popular amongst girls and boys. Many are inspired by the focus on practical work and gain confidence by perfecting their skills and gain a real enjoyment from experimentation. We encourage our pupils to study in areas of the subject beyond the specification, and this breadth of knowledge enables them to participate successfully in several competitions, including the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Olympiad, Young Analyst and Top of the Bench competitions and the Salters’ Festival. Chemistry is housed in four specialist laboratories and these are resourced and supported by two experienced technicians who work from a well-run prep room. GCSE We follow the Edexcel GCSE specification for most pupils. The course develops an increasingly sophisticated theoretical understanding of Chemistry while continuing to emphasise the practical foundations of the subject and its vital contribution to contemporary society. The key concepts of atomic structure, bonding and periodicity are introduced and then used as the basis for extending the study of the elements. Basic ideas on rates of reaction and organic chemistry are introduced and there is a more quantitative element to the course in the form of mole calculations and equilibria. As with the other sciences, a few take combined science GCSEs, but are still taught Chemistry as a separate subject. A LEVEL Chemistry in the Sixth Form is very popular and, in recent years, demand for the subject has grown significantly. The course is divided traditionally into the Physical, Inorganic and Organic strands of the subject together with a healthy dose of traditional investigative chemistry with tasks that range from making their own aspirin to identifying unknown compounds. The Year 13 course is a more advanced treatment of the ideas studied in Year 12, but good mathematical skills become especially important as pupils begin to draw quantitative conclusions in their work as opposed to the more qualitative ones required in the early part of the course.
Places for entry into Year 12 will be offered on the basis of a satisfactory report from the pupil’s present school and a series of short interviews with the Headmaster or one of the Deputy Heads, the Head of Sixth Form or a Senior Sixth Form Tutor, and two subject interviews with Heads of Departments. Pupils looking to join the Sixth Form must reach a minimum target for entry, consisting of: GCSE grade 4 or IGCSE grade 4 or C or above in English Language and Mathematics (grades 6 or B or above are preferable). A minimum point score of 54 (taken from the 9 best subjects including English Language and Mathematics) with points taken at face value for numerical grades or for alphabetical grades as follows: 8 points for an A*, 7 for an A, 6 for a B, and 5 for a C. Short courses and grades below 4 or C are not counted for the purposes of entry scores It is recommended that pupils also gain GCSE grade 7 or IGCSE grade 7 or A or above in the subjects chosen for A Level or in allied subjects for A Levels that were not studied at GCSE (eg Physics for Electronics)
The course develops an increasingly sophisticated theoretical understanding of Chemistry while continuing to emphasise the practical foundations of the subject and its vital contribution to contemporary society. The key concepts of atomic structure, bonding and periodicity are introduced and then used as the basis for extending the study of the elements. Basic ideas on rates of reaction and organic chemistry are introduced and there is a more quantitative element to the course in the form of mole calculations and equilibria.