Chemistry

More detail can be found about all of our academic faculties under the Curriculum sections of our website that cover the Third Form Curriculum, the Fourth Form Curriculum (leading up to GCSE) and the Sixth Form Curriculum.

In the words of the eminent chemist Sir Jack Baldwin: ‘Chemistry is about making forms of matter that have never existed before’.

This was certainly the aim of the alchemists, as they strove to turn base metals into gold. Nowadays, chemistry is studied for less mercenary means, though designing and making new molecules is still very much at the heart of the subject. New substances such as anti-cancer drugs, contraceptives and biodegradable plastics would not exist without the chemical knowledge used to create them.

The sense of discovery and understanding by experimentation is vital to the study of chemistry at Shrewsbury. From the creation of pigments and paints that mirror those of Renaissance Italy, to the extraction of natural oils from herbs and fruits, deeper understanding of things around us comes from dealing with the molecules that comprise these substances at first hand. Pupils have also tried their hand at extracting the 'heat' from chillies (the substance capsaicin) and iodine (an antiseptic) from seaweed.

At Shrewsbury Chemistry is taught by seven specialist teachers, who are supported by two full time lab technicians.  The Faculty is extremely well equipped and is housed in a modern building that includes access to extensive IT suites, a large science lecture theatre and a sixth form project room.  We also have both UV/visible and infra-red spectrophotometers that are used for the analysis and detection of chemicals.

The enthusiasm of the pupils for the subject is mirrored in the fact that this year's  uptake at AS level is over 60, making it one of the most popular subjects offered at Shrewsbury.  This is also an indication that the subject has become more accessible to all in the last few years (as opposed to being merely for those pupils in the top sets at GCSE).  The subject makes for a challenging A level however, and the department runs not only a weekly drop in 'clinic', but also offers a 'mathematics for chemists' course at the beginning of the AS year; we feel that this is one of the main areas of weakness for some of our pupils.

Each year several pupils make the decision to study chemistry or a closely related subject at one of the top Universities, and about 4 or 5 pupils per year apply to read chemistry at Oxford, or Natural sciences at Cambridge.  Classes to prepare these pupils run throughout the Michaelmas term; these ‘enhancement’ sessions are intended to appeal to anyone in the sixth form with an interest in taking the subject further.

Each year approximately 15 pupils tackle the chemistry Olympiad paper in February, and in the last 4 years we have harvested approximately 25 medals, including 4 golds, which recognise the pupils as being amongs the top 50 chemists in the country.  The online Olympiad for L6 formers was offered for the first time in 2007, and over 20 pupils took part in the competition.  Many students did well, and Joe Brunner was rewarded by the Royal Society for scoring full marks on the exam.  All pupils are prepared in special classes for both of these 'papers'.  Three members of the L6 represented the School at the Midlands heat of the RSC Young Analyst competition in 2007, and were placed second of ten teams, a fine effort for the School's debut in this event.  The following year saw the School enter another team, and this time a 3rd place finish was the commendable outcome.

Our pupils are also involved outside of the classroom at a Junior level.  Four pupils ranging from 3rd form to 5th form age take part each year in the RSC's Top of the Bench competition.

Each sixth form chemist attends at least one lecture demonstration at the University of Birmingham, a venture intended to stimulate further intellectual interest in the subject.   The first two of these in 2009/10 were a talk in October by Mr Mike Griffin, Metropolitan Police Laboratory Drugs Division: 'Smack, Crack, Speed and Weed - A Forensic Chemist’s Tale', and in November: 'Chemical Engineering of Creme Eggs' by Professor Peter Fryer.

Chemistry is a science which crosses over into many other aspects of the Curriculum; the debate between science and religion, the chemistry of Art, the history and Philosophy of Science. The ideal chemist should be an expert practitioner, a competent mathematician, and should have the ability to articulate chemical concepts through the written and spoken word. It is these skills that we aim to build up in our students during their study of chemistry at Shrewsbury.

We adopted the new AQA GCSE in 2006 and feel pleased in the way that things have gone.  The first set of results in summer 2008 (for pupils who have studied the AQA course from the off) were encouraging, though there is a feeling that the A* grade is perhaps a little harder to come by.  For pupils who struggle with chemistry, the B grade at GCSE (5 of these are needed for entrance into the 6th form) is more accessible than has been the case in the past.  The new arrangements for testing practical work seem far better for everyone.  At A level we have decided to stick with the improved OCR course.  The course has been modernised, and includes more chemistry that is relevant to the present.

Shrewsbury School hosted the Chemistry Rugby Meeting in October 2009, which comprises eighteen Heads of Chemistry from England's top day/boarding independent schools and involves a discussion and plenary session where they share ideas related to promote teaching and learning for Chemistry

Andrew Briggs 
adb@shrewsbury.org.uk

A Level Results – Chemistry

GCSE Results – Chemistry 

GCSE Results – Double Science