Residential | Year 11 Students | Fully funded for eligible students

CHEMISTRY FULL

This summer school aims to address some of the challenges students face in the step from GCSE to A Level within the sciences.

Students will work in project groups within a chosen strand and will undertake a practical investigation during the week. Supported by undergraduate mentors, students will tackle challenges within biology, chemistry or physics.

Chemists will cover topics such as synthetic and analytical chemistry across the physical, organic and inorganic disciplines; Biologists will be investigating organismal biology studying topics from microbes to monkeys; and Physicists will explore particle physics including looking at everything from atoms down to the smallest subatomic particles, what we know about them and how we know it.

Projects are linked to real-life situations and research providing students with practical hands-on experience of working in undergraduate labs using techniques and equipment.

Each evening there will be social activities provided as well as free time for students to mingle with other participants and mentors.

At the end of the week, students will have the opportunity to present their investigation results to an audience of their peers, leaders and their invited guests.

This course is fully funded by Imperial College London’s G&T Access fund.

Course Aims

• To provide subject enrichment, practical hands-on activities and lab-based project work which may not be available in school/college
• To introduce students to A Level teaching styles
• To motivate and elevate students’ learning towards higher levels of attainment
• To identify the need to improve subject knowledge and be motivated to increase understanding of subject areas
• To understand the mathematical and quantitative bases of their scientific research and the types of skills required across science learning and future pathways
• To reinforce and supplement knowledge and understanding of curriculum topics
• To develop students’ group working, investigation, presentation and communication skills, therefore increasing confidence in their own ability

Applications and Enquiries

Please submit all enquiries and applications for this summer school via the Exscitec website.

This summer school is for high achieving students who meet the ‘OFFA’ eligibility criteria

Knowledge/Capability

• Be capable in, and have an interest in, science and mathematics
• Have the potential to apply to Imperial College and achieve equivalent to AAB at A-Level
• Be capable of achieving a minimum of 5 As and 3 B grades at GCSE, including A grades in maths and two science subjects
• Be considered to be high achieving (previously G&T i.e. top 5% of the national average and/or top 10% of their school average)

Student Background

This course is for high achieving students who also identify with one or more of the following circumstances:

• Attend a state maintained school/college
• May attend a school/college where the average point score per student is lower than local authority or national average
• May have attended a school/college where the proportion of pupils at the end of KS4 achieving 5+ A*-C is lower than local authority or national average
• May attend a school/college with more than 15% of Free School Meals (FSM) (proxy)

Students will need to submit a declaration form from a teacher to support their application.

OFFA stands for Office For Fair Access – www.offa.org.uk