The course is broken down into physical, organic and inorganic chemistry units. There are 12 physical chemistry, 16 organic chemistry and 6 inorganic chemistry units of study.
Students will need to carry out 12 required practicals.
Year 12
Autumn Term
Atomic Structure
Bonding
Energetics
Kinetics
Introduction to Organic Chemistry
Spring Term
Amount of Substance
Chemical Equilibria
Redox
Alkanes
Haloalkanes
Alkenes
Summer Term
Periodicity
Group 2
Group 7
Alcohols
Organic Analysis
Year 13
Autumn Term
Thermodynamics
Equilibria Kp
Electrochemical cells
Optical isomerism
Aldehydes and ketones
Carboxylic acids and derivatives
Aromatic chemistry
Amines
Polymers
Spring Term
Acids and Bases
Transition metals
Amino acids, proteins and DNA
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Chromatography
Organic synthesis
Summer Term
Reaction of aqueous ions in solution
Rate Equations
Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides
Assessment at Key stage 5
- Internal
- Homeworks and in class mini assessments
- End of topic assessments
- Yr 12 Mock examinations in May
- Yr 13 Mock examinations in Oct and Feb
- External
- 3 2hr long external written assessments at the end of the course.
A separate endorsement of practical skills will be taken alongside the A-level, throughout the course. This will be assessed by teachers and will be based on direct observation of students’ competency in a range of skills that are not assessable in written exams.
How can parents help support their child’s learning?
- Google classroom – all lesson resources, revision resources, examination question booklets are available here
- Books:
- A-level Chemistry for AQA Student Book (2nd edition) by Ted Lister, Janet Renshaw
- AQA A Level Chemistry Year 1 and AS (2nd edition) by Ted Lister, Janet Renshaw
- AQA A Level Chemistry Year 2 (2nd edition) by Ted Lister, Janet Renshaw
- CGP A-Level Chemistry: AQA Year 1 & 2 Complete Revision & Practice with Online Edition
- Revision websites:
- https://www.chemguide.co.uk/– This site is really good for deepening your Chemistry knowledge.
- https://www.senecalearning.com/ – takes you through the basic content and tests you as you go along. It’s proven to help you remember topics better, but it only covers the basics!
- www.s-cool.co.uk – Many web pages of structured notes
- www.physicsandmathstutor.com – Many notes and past exam paper questions sorted by topic.
- https://chemrevise.org/revision-guides/ – Well structured revision notes.
- Youtube:
- Snap Revise
- Allery Chemistry
- Freesciencelessons
- Eliot Rintoul
- Khan Academy
- MaChemGuy
Enrichment opportunities
- Online seminars /webinars with link universities.
- Chemistry activity days at university.
- Chemistry Olympiad entry.
- Links with other STEM subjects.
