Vision Statement

The Chemistry course offered at Walsall Academy is designed to provide academic experiences that allow students to learn, use and do Science. We want our students to be motivated to achieve, to have high aspirations, persevere through difficulties that may arise and have a resilient approach to their studies. We will support them on their journey to becoming independent and critical thinkers, who develop a wide range of transferable skills required for Higher education and the world of employment.

Specification being followed: OCR A Level Chemistry

Year 12
Year 13

Year 12

Introduction video

Module 1 - Development of practical skills

This module is covered throughout Year 12 and Year 13, through a varied range of practicals, that allow students to develop the necessary chemical practical skills required for Higher education and beyond.

Module 2 – Foundations in Chemistry

This module builds on GCSE knowledge around topics such as atomic and electronic structure and chemical calculations, but delves deeper into the key chemical principals that may have been simplified at GCSE.

Module 3 – Periodic Table and Energy

This module looks at the periodic table and trends, rates and equilibrium and the amount of energy in bonds. It also looks at the different types of bonding present in compounds and qualitative analysis.

Module 4 – Core Organic Chemistry

Again, this module builds on organic chemistry studied at GCSE but also looks at the mechanisms behind chemical reactions and higher level organic knowledge, such as functional groups and isomers.

Year 13

Introduction video

Module 1 - Development of practical skills

The 12 required practicals cover a range of skills to help students develop these across the course and taught at the same time as the relevant theory.

Module 5 – Physical Chemistry and Transition Elements

This module builds on content covered during the Year 12 modules of Foundations in Chemistry and Periodic Table and Energy. It also covers rates of reactions and acids, bases and buffers.

Module 6 – Organic Chemistry and Analysis

This module builds on content covered during the Year 12 module of Core Organic Chemistry. Higher level analytical techniques such as proton NMR and more complex organic reactions and interconversions are also studied.