Chemistry affects all aspects of society and the environment. Ultimately, it’s about doing – making things from raw materials, finding out what they are composed of and why they behave the way they do. At A Level, you’ll be doing plenty of practical work in a supportive environment, looking at chemistry in action and in a range of contexts. Universities accept chemistry A Level for a whole range of degrees. Chemistry is particularly important if you wish to study medicine or veterinary science.

You’ll learn about essential chemical topics and concepts, including atoms, bonds and groups, energy and resources, rings and polymers and energetics and elements. You’ll then explore their practical and industrial applications in medicines, materials and the environment.

Assessment is by written examinations and practical skills tests.

GCSE Grade B in Mathematics at Higher Tier plus GCSE Grade C in English. You should enjoy Science and expect to gain at least grade B in your Science GCSE additional paper or grade B in single Science Chemistry.

We organise visits to a local swimming pool and a brewery to see chemistry in action; in A2, you’ll have the opportunity to visit Iceland to learn about renewable energy. We have an online project about drug design in association with the Chemistry Department at the University of Southampton and links with Portsmouth, Surrey and Sussex Universities. We have regular guest speakers from Chemnet and the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Project. You may choose to take relevant Open University modules to supplement your studies.