ABOUT THIS COURSE

Achievement in OCR A-Level Chemistry requires students to overcome some key challenges in order to secure a top A/A* grades in the upcoming OCR A Level Chemistry 2023 exam. Students need to be able to recall a wealth of knowledge across the varied disciplines of chemistry study and apply this knowledge in familiar and unfamiliar situations. Chemistry students have a variety of strengths and weaknesses so a range of techniques are needed to ensure they can achieve the best possible mark over the 3 main subject areas: physical, organic and inorganic chemistry; as well as the practical component.

This intensive new course will demonstrate how to guide your students to achieve their maximise possible grades in future OCR A Level Chemistry examinations. The course is designed for teachers of OCR A-Level Chemistry, but would be of benefit to teachers of other exam boards as well.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Develop the use of retrieval practice to promote student recall, supporting the teaching of the most challenging A-Level topics.
• Increase awareness of what we should aim to achieve with the most able Chemists
• Take away fresh ideas, approaches and methods that challenge A/A* students and support their further development
• Develop greater understanding of the precision and detail that examiners are looking for in A/A* students
• Find out more about the barriers to progress and ways to support highly able students to overcome them

PROGRAMME

Focus on assessment demands for A/A* students

• Examine the assessment demands of all components for the highest grades
• Review characteristics of A and A* A-Level students
• Consider feedback from the most recent examination series for Grade A and A* students
• Share experiences, successes and failures, frustrations from the 2022 examinations

The key topics A/A* students find most challenging

• Dealing with the maths – a look at some of the challenging areas of physical chemistry including: challenging titration questions, graphs and related questions, pH and buffers
• Mechanisms – A look at the more challenging areas of organic chemistry and how to get students to identify the correct mechanism and then draw it accurately.
• Memory and explanations – A look at some of the more challenging areas for inorganic chemistry
• Avoiding potential hazards – what can cost a top student their A/A* grade?

Using the required Practicals to access the top grades in the Practicals Questions

• Fresh ideas, approaches and methods that challenge A/A* students and support their further development
• How to integrate the practicals with the theoretical aspects of the course.
• Explaining the practicals. Strategies to get the students to think about the methods rather than just blindly carrying them out.
• Making the practicals real. Linking the practicals to the real world to promote engagement and understanding.
• Where are marks lost? – what does an A-Level Chemistry student need to do to obtain maximum marks on practical questions.
• Integrating practical skills and theoretical content – evaluating conclusions made by other scientists – why students don’t seem to get it?

Stretching and challenging A/A* Chemistry students

• RSC Olympiad resources and Cambridge Chemistry Challenge – using questions over and above recommended reading, preparing for Oxbridge – signposting, pushing and probing
• Embedding RSC Olympiad resources and Cambridge Chemistry Challenge resources into schemes of work and lessons to stretch the most able students in Chemistry.
• Strategies for stretching A/A* students in a mixed-ability classroom and challenging complacent high-achievers. Embedding example Oxbridge interview questions in lessons to increase depth and breadth of student understanding.

The Exams – Techniques and Tactics

• Techniques for memory retrieval and recall and application to examination questions
• Dissecting examination questions- vocabulary & command words
• Increase student confidence by promoting good study habits
• Develop the ‘A*/A Grade’ skills – analysis, evaluation and application
• Strategies to improve responses to exam questions and signposting