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"Habs gave me the best possible start in life." |
Prof P R Parham FRS, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA. |
The Chemistry Department
At Haberdashers', Chemistry, like all the sciences, is taught as a separate subject from the Year 7. It is compulsory until the end of year 10 and typically about 140 boys opt to take the GCSE examination in year 11; around 50 boys study Chemistry at Advanced level. Chemistry is taught almost exclusively in specialist laboratories, a practice which allows continued emphasis on the practical nature of the subject through teacher demonstrations and, predominantly, through the medium of class practical work. The department is housed in a brand new suite of purpose built laboratories.
The Junior School (Years 7 & 8)
The first two years of the course
are primarily intended as an introduction to Chemistry, its aims, its
methods and its role in our society: examination material covered in this
period will be revised in greater detail during the later stages of the
course. Class practical work is introduced at the outset and by the end of
the first year boys should be totally familiar with the layout of the
laboratories and be able to work safely and with a high degree of
independence. The first term is devoted to practical applications of
chemistry: separation of mixtures, acids and bases, indicators and
chromatography. In the second and third terms there is a shift in emphasis
as the chemical changes studied are placed in a theoretical framework based
on the understanding of elements, compounds and reactivity. The second year
develops these themes and expands the theoretical base to include formulae,
equations and simple ideas on reacting quantities. This vital work is
reviewed thoroughly further up the school.
The Middle School (Years 9, 10 & 11)
Chemistry in the Middle School leads to a GCSE at the end of the Year 11 The
Chemistry Department follows the Edexcel IGCSE specification which is one of
a suite of three science specifications used by the Science Department at
Haberdashers'. Assessment on this course is by terminal examination only;
there is no coursework. The course develops an increasingly sophisticated
theoretical understanding of the subject while continuing to emphasise the
practical basis of the subject and its vital contribution to contemporary
society. In the third form the key concepts of atomic structure, bonding and
periodicity are introduced and then used as the basis for extending the
study of the elements. In the Year 10 basic ideas on rates of reaction are
introduced and towards the end of the year Organic Chemistry is introduced.
The study of this continues into Year 11 when the study of nitrogen is
used as the basis for introducing the concept of equilibrium and extending
the theoretical understanding of acids and bases.
The Sixth Form
Haberdashers' follows the Edexcel syllabus which is traditional in style,
but offers ample opportunity for experimental work. The AS and A2 courses
extend and develop the ideas of GCSE Chemistry introducing more modern
concepts such as atomic and molecular orbitals and treating reactivity on
the basis of understanding simple thermodynamics. The courses are each
divided into three modules, all self-contained with clear learning
objectives. The emphasis of the syllabus is on the relevance of the subject
to everyday life and it is therefore an interesting and dynamic course for
boys to study. Assessment is by terminal examination (80%) and continuous
assessment (20%). The A2 course is a more advanced treatment of the ideas
studied at AS, building on earlier concepts. The structure of content and
assessment in A2 is similar to that in the AS. The results at AS and A2
combined give the overall Advanced level grade.
A good grade in GCSE Chemistry can be achieved by virtually all Haberdashers' boys. Over the last few years typically 60% of boys have achieved an A* grade and a further 30 % grade A; grades below B have become very rare. The challenge of Advanced level Chemistry can seem formidable but the subject is accessible to most Haberdashers' boys. Good motivation is vital: boys must participate fully in the course and are prepared to work on their own to formulate and rationalise ideas and boys need to feel confident in applying what they have learned in all three sciences at GCSE to the development of their understanding and knowledge of Chemistry.
Although it is not necessary for boys to study Advanced level Mathematics in combination with chemistry, a reasonable level of numeracy is essential. Chemistry sits centrally within the sciences and the course provides good overlap with many other Advanced level subjects, particularly Biology, Physics, Geography and Geology. However, the breadth of chemistry means that it may also be considered with almost any other subject.
Chemistry at Advanced GCE Level is a prerequisite for many courses at university and for many areas of employment. It is also a long-established and respected qualification that allows progression into a number of subjects at university including Chemistry itself, Natural Sciences, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Agriculture, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering and related subjects.
However, Chemistry graduates enter many disciplines. A degree in Chemistry is a qualification that is highly regarded in today's world; technically adept individuals remain essential to our rapidly developing society and chemists find careers in law, finance and computing as well as areas which use the degree directly.
Boys in the Junior School may attend the Junior Science Club which offers additional opportunities for extending the work carried out in normal teaching time and also investigating their own ideas. The School Science Society organises lectures and demonstrations by outside speakers many of whom are pre-eminent in their own field. Talks range from intellectually demanding surveys of cutting edge research to aurally challenging demonstrations of the explosive power of some chemical reactions. Science Society is organised by sixth form boys under the direction of a member of the teaching staff but is open to all.
Boys studying Chemistry at A2 may opt for a course
called Enhancement Chemistry which aims to extend well beyond the confines
of the Advanced level course. Boys taking this course are entered for the
Chemistry Olympiad organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. This takes
into a competition designed to find the five sixth form students who will
represent Great Britain in the International Chemistry Olympiad held at
different locations round the world in July of each year. Over the last
fifteen years two members of the Haberdashers' sixth form have been selected
for the team (most recently in 1999) and a third was chosen to be reserve.