Edexcel Advanced Chemistry from 2008

Resources to support the Edexcel specification

Here is information about the various curriculum materials being published for Edxcel Chemistry 2008. See Publications for Sept 08

Summary of what Edexcel are offering

See the London summer meeting 2008 report, where Helen Langslow and Anthony Ellison gave a short presentation. Useful links to Edexcel website here.

Edexcel's plans

Edexcel are only offering one advanced chemistry specification for teaching starting in September 2008. Edexcel have also decided only to offer one specification for each of advanced biology and advanced physics.

Edexcel's decision means that after 40 years, Nuffield Advanced Chemistry will cease to exist as a distinct course from the last examination in 2009.

We gather from Edexcel that all units will be available for examination in June 2009, but only A2 retakes (Units 4, 5, 6) in January 2010.

The Edexcel Chemistry development team and their new examining team includes people from both the Nuffield and the Edexcel ('London') teams of examiners. Here is a photo of the new chief examiner Anthony Ellison, who teaches Nuffield Chemistry and is an Edexcel principal examiner.
Nuffield Chemistry summer meeting 08 (scroll down the page).

See also Nuffield Curriculum Centre activities.

Edexcel information

Download the 2008 Edexcel specification and sample assessment material from here.
Edexcel Chemistry 2008 specification

This same Edexcel web page also has a useful 'Tutor Support Material' booklet to dlownload, with lots of information about the new specification. It includes notes for Nuffield Chemistry teachers on what is new and what is no longer included - see pages 6-8.

Edexcel training events

On this web page, scroll down to Science and then, when you've downloaded the document, scroll down to Chemistry.
Edexcel Chemistry training events

Edexcel e-specs

See what Edexcel have to say about the presentation of their specifications Edexcel e-specs

QCA criteria

Change is unavoidable because QCA has issued new criteria for the design of GCE AS/A2 courses from 2008. QCA has broadly three aims:

* to reduce the burden of assessment
* to raise the profile of 'How science works' following GCSE Science
* to modernise specifications with more contemporary contexts.

OCR and AQA

Here are the OCR and AQA specs. See
OCR Chemistry A
OCR Chemistry B (Salters)
AQA Chemistry

Reviewing the different specifications

Here are some reviews of the different Chemistry specifications starting Sept 08. Specification reviews

The review form we produced turned out to be useful for anyone wanting a checklist of criteria to consider. Here it is in case still useful.
>>Download the Chemistry specifications review form (29 KB)