Skip to main content

A-Level Practical Assessment Days

We offer schools the opportunity to bring year 12 students to the university to carry out a required practical experiment in our teaching laboratories. Students will find out more about studying chemistry at university and the opportunities it can lead to. They will experience life as an undergraduate chemist; exploring the campus and speaking to current staff and students in the School of Chemistry.

The practical days will take place each day from 20th - 23rd May 2024. They are offered free of charge, participants will need to bring their own lunch.

Experimental details

Preparation of a pure organic solid and test of its purity - synthesis and analysis of paracetamol

    • Students will gain practical skills in weighing and mixing reagents, refluxing, vacuum filtration and recrystallization. They will carry out analysis using melting point, thin layer chromatography and infra-red spectroscopy (IR).

Booking

Bookings will open in early 2025.

What are the requirements for the Practical Day?

Participants must be in in Year 12 and studying A-level Chemistry.

All visitors must abide by our health & safety procedures. Lab coats, safety spectacles and any other personal protective equipment will be provided.

What are the planned activities?

A sample itinerary for the Practical Day is below.

09:30  Arrival and registration
09:45  Welcome and introduction.
10:15 Lab session
12:15 Lunch (please bring packed lunch or money to buy lunch)
13:00 Lab session continued
15:30 Evaluation and Depart

Where does the Practical Day take place?

Activities will be held in the School of Chemistry on the University of Leeds campus.

Cancellation Policy

This event is usually over-subscribed therefore we ask that you only request the number of places you can fill. Schools that cancel at short notice, or bring significantly fewer pupils than booked may be excluded from future events.

Please review our Cancellation Policy prior to confirming your attendance.

Participant Code of Conduct

Please review our Participant Code of Conduct prior to confirming your attendance.

Risk Assessment

The risk assessment will be emailed along with arrival information once your places have been confirmed.