Chemistry A-level Practicals Support
We can host local schools in one of our on-campus laboratories to carry out A-level Chemistry required practicals. We may also be able to host your BTEC Applied Science group.
Let us host your students' A-level Chemistry required practicals
If your school lacks the equipment or resources to run A-level Chemistry practicals we may be able to help. We can host your students in one of our laboratories on campus here in Newcastle.
The two most common practicals requested by schools are:
Making an Organic Liquid – students make an ester (pear drops, 3-methylbutyl ethanoate)
Making an Organic Solid – students can make either aspirin, methyl 3-nitrobenzoate or N-phenyl ethanamide (“antifebrin“). This practical can be coupled with Measuring the Melting Point of an Organic Compound, using our Stuart SMP10 digital melting point apparatus.
Each practical takes half a day (max. 3 hours) and you are welcome to book half a day for one practical or a whole day to do both. Overall start and finish times for a visit will be negotiated with each school. This will take into account travel time and school timetabling. Schools should make their own travel arrangements to and from the University. We regret that we cannot offer parking for school minibuses on campus.
For groups of less than 15 students, we can usually host practicals during most weeks of the school year. For larger cohorts, there is more restricted availability as we need to use an Undergraduate teaching laboratory or host the visit over more than one day.
Other practicals may be available by prior arrangement. Take a look at our Secondary Science Kit Loans, we may be able to lend you the kit to carry out the experiment in school.