Cheltenham Ladies' College

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• Welcome
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• College Life
• News
• Development & Resources
• My Daughter
• Guild
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• Introduction
• Academic Life
• International Baccalaureate
• Exam Results
• Curriculum Summaries
• 2008 Department Reviews
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  • Chemistry
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  • History of Art
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  • Physics
  • Religious Studies
  • Design and Technology
• Professional Guidance
• Pastoral Care
• Chaplaincy & Worship
• Broadening Horizons
• Sport

Department Reviews

CHEMISTRY

Ask people what they remember about Chemistry from their schooldays and the chances are they will say something about bangs and flashes, and things catching fire. Year 6 pupils from local primary schools will certainly endorse that after their visit to College in March. As part of our National Science Week activities, two teachers from the Chemistry department gave a slick performance when they staged a spectacular lecture-demonstration, for two separate groups of youngsters, on the excitement of Chemistry. What better theme could there be than burning, explosions and rockets? Inevitably, the humble and much-maligned carbon dioxide molecule cropped up in the discussion, and this was a good opportunity to help raise awareness of its implications for climate change. We were pleased to see that the visiting pupils were already informed on this subject and even more delighted by the looks on their faces during the demonstrations! This is definitely something to repeat each year.

The SFC2 Chemistry Club has continued to provide the arena in which to try out all manner of daring and spectacular experiments – the sort you might expect to be banned (but are not!). These inevitably filter down into the schemes of work and enrich the teaching for the whole of College. However, it was our regular LC2 Saturday activity on rocket making that provided the main stimulus for the Science Week talks. The rockets continue to catch visiting parents and their daughters by surprise on Open Days: the launch of a battery of fizzy drinks bottles is not quite what they might have expected to see in the quad.

Sixth form chemists have benefitted from two visits to universities. At the end of last Summer term a large group of our current SFC2s spent a day at Bristol University’s Chemistry department. The programme included a stimulating lecture/demonstration, but the main focus of the day was on students’ own practical work. This was a wonderful opportunity for them to use sophisticated equipment and carry out complex experiments in the impressive new undergraduate laboratories. Practical activities included making an anaesthetic from vanilla, biodiesel from vegetable oil, and paracetamol. There was also the chance to use spectroscopic analysis methods to check if they had indeed ended up with the right products. (They never confessed as to whether they did or not.)

Just before Christmas all SFC1 chemists enjoyed a trip to the University of Birmingham for a whole day of lectures, talks and demonstrations. It was surprising how many dangerous experiments had been adapted and scaled up to be shown in the Great Hall – not perhaps the most likely place to be doing this. The day also included lectures on important areas of Chemistry research, as well as a talk by an A level Chief Examiner on exam revision technique, which included many helpful hints and much good advice.

We were particularly delighted with the results of this year’s Royal Society of Chemistry International Olympiad competition held in the Spring term. Sixteen SFC2s opted to enter for this tough examination and all were awarded certificates. Of these, six girls gained a Bronze Level award, and Tiffany Choi achieved the distinction of a Silver Award.

Of course, we were equally thrilled at the start of this academic year with our external exam results. Our AS and A level candidates kept up the extremely high standard of recent years, with A or B grades being gained by 91% of candidates at A level. At GCSE level, girls achieved by far the best results ever, with 67% of girls gaining A* grades and a massive 96% achieving A* or A. This was a wonderful start to the year, and a fitting culmination of many years spent teaching that particular GCSE specification, which has now been superseded by a new one. To return to the opening theme, when we do have occasion to ask people what they remember of Chemistry from their school days there are sadly far too many who admit to ‘not a lot!’. Perhaps these good results will mean that the present generation of students, in years to come, will be able to reflect more positively on their experience of Chemistry at CLC and, regardless of their chosen career, be able to make a meaningful contribution to discussions on scientific issues.

News

Recent Press Coverage

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England’s Under 16 International Hockey Training Squad

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College Success at Debating and Public Speaking

Congratulations to Hannah Gladman and Jess Hart who took part in the first round of The Midland Schools’ Debating Competition in Birmingham. The girls...

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