Chemistry
Aims
to stimulate curiosity, interest and enjoyment of chemistry and to equip students for further studies requiring a scientific background. - to help pupils develop safe experimental and investigative abilities, and acquire a systematic body of chemical knowledge, including the uses and limitations of chemistry.
- to encourage students to develop an understanding of technological, economic, environmental, social and ethical applications/ implications of chemical processes, in order to develop as well prepared citizens in a scientific and technological world.
Pupils will be able to use IT as a source of information and as a tool in the collecting and processing of results.
Courses
Chemistry is taught as a separate subject (as well as Biology and Physics) from Year 7. There is the option in Year 10, of following Core Science and Additional Science as a GCSE subject, although the majority of students continue with the separate sciences. Chemistry is also a very popular subject at A level.
First Year (Year 7) work incorporates a ‘constructivist’ approach bearing in mind that pupils enter secondary education from a wide background and will bring in some prior knowledge and scientific ideas. The emphasis is on developing key skills and confidence in practical work and communication, rather than the acquisition of factual knowledge. The teaching includes: safety, the Bunsen burner, making measurements, solubility and dissolving, separation techniques, acids and bases, and crystals.
Second Year (Year 8). The emphasis is on good practical skills and acquiring chemical knowledge. Some work is an extension of first year work while other topics are new. Other topics include Physical and Chemical changes; Elements; Compounds and Mixtures; The Periodic Table; and Rates of Reactions. An introduction to writing formulae is made in preparation for future work and to challenge the more able.
Third Years (Year 9). The first term covers topics such as Hydrogen; Chemical Formulae and Equations; General Metal Chemistry; and the Reactivity Series. In the Lent term, AQA GCSE Chemistry is taught and module C/a is examined at the end of the summer term. Topics include Extracting Metals from Ores; the uses of metals and alloys; Limestone and its sues; Crude Oil, Fuels and Pollution.
Fourth and Fifth Years (Years 10 and 11). Although the majority of students continue to study AQA GCSE Chemistry, there is also the option to study AQA GCSE Core Science and Additional Science. The latter covers exactly the same topics as modules 1 and 2 of the Chemistry specification, with module 3 only being covered by students who choose the separate Chemistry course. Whichever course is chosen, the students are taught by Chemistry specialists.
Module 1 includes further topics on Cracking of Hydrocarbons; Polymers; Plant Oils, Chemical Analysis and Changes to the Earth and Atmosphere. Module 2 includes topics on Atomic Structure; Chemical Bonding; Structure and Properties of Substances; Chemistry Calculations; Rates of Reactions; Energy Changes and Reversible Reactions; Electrolysis; and Acids, Bases and Salts. Module 3 (for those who choose Chemistry as a separate subject) includes topics on The Periodic Table; Aqueous Chemistry; Volumetric Analysis and acids and alkalines; Energy changes; and identification and analysis.
There is a strong emphasis on practical work for both separate Chemistry and Core and Additional Science. Practical work accounts for 25% of the marks available at GCSE.
In Lower Sixth Form (Year 12), the specification followed is AQA GCE AS Chemistry. There are about 30 Chemistry students, split into sets of mixed ability. The average set size is about 10 students. The course is modular, made up of three units: Atomic structure, Bonding and Periodicity; Foundation Physical and Inorganic Chemistry; Introduction to Organic Chemistry. Practical work is assessed on a continual basis and accounts for 15% of the marks available at AS.
The majority of AS students carry on their Chemistry into the Upper Sixth and take the AQA A2 level course. Class sizes are similar to those in the Lower Sixth. The course is modular and includes Kinetics, Equilibria and Organic Chemistry in Module 4; Energetics, Redox and Inorganic Chemistry in Module 5. Module 6 is practical work and again accounts for 20% of the A2 marks.
Facilities and Resources
The department is well equipped with five laboratories, one of which was fully refurbished in 1999 and another which was fully refurbished in 2004. There is also a computer laboratory complete with 24 computers. The refurbished Chemistry lecture theatre has a demonstration bench and there are two preparation rooms (one for A Level and one for First to Fifth Year pupils).
Clubs and Competitions
There is a thriving junior science/ chemistry club which involves activities from manufacturing slime to kite-making. Year 8 students compete in 
Salters’ Practical competitions and we won the event in Bradford in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. As previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistry Top of the Bench competition, Queen Elizabeth’s regularly enters a team in this prestigious competition. In 2004 QEGS represented the North West of England in the National Finals held jointly at the Science Museum and Imperial College in London. James France (Year 9) was awarded the Jacqui Clee Trophy after being judged the outstanding individual in the competition. In 2006 a Sixth Form team of Chemistry students won a national practical competition in Analytical Chemistry, in which over 300 Sixth Forms and colleges took part.
