Thinking Matters 2017

hemistry Chemistry is an intellectually stimulating, creative and challenging subject. An in-depth knowledge of chemical concepts is not only fascinating and essential for boys wishing to pursue Chemistry beyond Dulwich, but is vital for everyone to appreciate how relevant and important the subject is in all aspects of everyday life.

We aim to inspire a genuine academic curiosity for Chemistry, and to capitalise on the natural enthusiasm of the boys. Practical work remains at the heart of the curriculum, and allows boys to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life situations. ‘The Oxford University Chemistry workshop was a truly eye-opening experience, which allowed us to get a feel for undergraduate study. We got the chance to synthesise esters using sophisticated techniques such as rotary evaporation. We were also able to analyse our product using NMR and IR spectroscopy – a good chance to put our theoretical knowledge into practice. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and interesting trip.’ Joe O’Connor, Year 13

Chemistry remains a very popular subject which routinely sees about 70 boys pursue it to A level. Besides those interested in reading Chemistry at university, we attract boys who wish to read more applied subjects including: Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Pharmacy and Chemical Engineering. Boys who are aiming to read Chemistry (or other Physical Sciences) at any of the top universities attend weekly tutorials to extend their knowledge and allow them to practise speaking about Chemistry fluently, and apply their knowledge to novel situations when under pressure. ‘Year 12 were treated to some beer tasting, followed by a fascinating tour of the brewery by the head brewer, including a detailed and

Year 12 boys look at the chemistry behind brewing.

Remove chemists analyse esters at Oxford University.

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