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Chemistry A Level – Alton

A Level

chemicals being poured into a beaker

Availability & Details

Chemistry - A Level AF1-CHEMAL/C01

Venue
Alton Campus

Type of study
A Levels

Dates
Academic Year 2025-26 (2 years)

Examination board
Oxford Cambridge & RSA Examinations

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Overview

This A Level will give you an exciting insight into the contemporary world of Chemistry. It covers the key concepts of chemistry and practical skills are integrated throughout the course.Our range of practical work will enable you to enhance both qualitative and quantitative skills, for example: How do pH indicators work? How could you work out the molar mass of a gas? How do you make your own pH buffer?By the second year, you will be confident enough to research and design your own experimental method to find the % of iron in an iron tablet, for example. Over the two years of the course, you will learn about Chemistry in a range of different contexts and the impact it has on industry and many aspects of everyday life.

Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above. A grade 6 is required for Mathematics and Chemistry or 6/6 in Double Science. As there is an essay component to the assessments and lots of new terminology to learn, a grade 5 in English Language is also required.

• Development of practical skills in chemistry: practical skills are taught and developed throughout the course. You will progress your technique in skills such as volumetric analysis (titration) and measuring rates of reaction. You will also meet new techniques in topics such as organic synthesis and the qualitative analysis of inorganic and organic substances.• Module 2 “Foundations in Chemistry” builds on your GCSE understanding of concepts such as atomic structure, bonding, acids and moles.• You will increase your understanding of the Periodic table in Module 3 and develop this further in Module 5, where you will also study transition elements. Physical chemistry, including energy changes, rates and equilibrium, will also be covered in Module 3 and extended in Module 5.• Modules 4 and 6 will cover organic chemistry and analysis. You will be studying the properties of groups such as alcohols, haloalkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, amines and proteins. You will also learn how organic compounds can be synthesised and then analysed using a range of spectroscopic techniques.

Lesson activities are varied. You will undertake practical work for all topics, and some of this will count towards your practical endorsement. The chemistry content is contextualised so that you can relate it to the world around you. Have you ever wondered: How can chemistry impact on the environment? How do we know the formula of a molecule when we can’t see it? How can we make a plastic dissolve? If you have, then A Level Chemistry will hold some of the answers.

100% exams. The three exam papers will be ‘Periodic Table, Elements and Physical Chemistry’, ‘Synthesis and Analytical Techniques’ and ‘Unified Chemistry’.Practical Endorsement; to achieve a Practical Endorsement you will undertake a range of experiments to display your competency in all aspects of practical chemistry. The result of this is reported separately from your A Level grade.

Optional trip costs of approximately £20.


My experience at the college has been really good, it’s been really rewarding, all the lecturers were so lovely and supportive there’s no way I could have done it without them - the teaching has been outstanding.

Lucie Brooks, A Level student

I’m really happy and pleased with my grades. I really loved my time at the college, I have also made lots of friends, it’s a really nice place to be, I don’t want to leave.

Lauren Piper, A Level student

There are lots of people at the college, each studying a diverse range of courses, people from all different areas come to study here, it creates a sense of community, there is a huge social aspect to college life across all courses.

Lee Backhouse, BTEC student