Wessex Group Post-16 Chemistry Teachers’ Conference and Education mini-Symposium

The Wessex Group Post-16 Chemistry Teachers’ Conference is an annual event which is run by Chemistry at the University of Southampton in collaboration with the Maths and Science Learning Centre (formerly Science Learning Centre South East) and the Wessex Group of 6th Form Colleges.  The aim is to give Post-16 teachers in the region the opportunity to take a day out of school/college to spend time with colleagues from elsewhere and share good practice.  Each year the programme is designed with input from teachers in local 6th form colleges affiliated to the Wessex Group (www.wessexsfc.ac.uk).  Chemistry teachers from any school or college are welcome to attend.  This year, the afternoon session is being run as an Education Mini-symposium and the whole event is being opened up to attendance by a wider range of colleagues beyond schools, colleges and universities.

Provisional schedule:

09:45 - Arrival, Coffee

10:00 - New A-level chemistry specifications – the story so far
            We will be joined by colleagues from OCR for this session,
            and potentially other awarding organisations. 

11:30 - Teaching innovations – sharing best practice
            Teachers showcase their work and share their experiences
            with the conference  

12:30 - Lunch

Education mini-symposium (after lunch)
The talks in this session are aimed at those teaching A-level and early
years degree level chemistry courses.  They discuss key issues of
importance to those seeking to give students the best possible learning
experience at these levels of chemistry.

13:15 - Keynote talk:  What makes chemistry difficult for students?
            Michael Seery - Reader in Chemistry Education,
                                       University of Edinburgh   

14:00 - A Vision for The Chemistry Curriculum of the Future
            Gareth Price - Professor of Chemistry,
                                     University of Bath
                                     RSC Education Division President

14:30 - Title TBC
            Kristy Turner - School Teacher Fellow/Chemistry Teacher
                                     -University of Manchester/Bolton School Boys' Division,   
                                     

15:00 - Perspectives on chemistry education from both sides of the
            school-to-university transition  
             David Read - Professorial Fellow in Chemical Education,
                                    University of Southampton        

15:45 - General Discussion

16:00 - Close and reception
 

Registration:

If you are a school teacher or a university staff member, please register via the Mathematics and Science Learning Centre on 02380 598810 or mslc@soton.ac.uk.  The following information is needed in order to book: Name, Job title, Email address, School/college address (name and postcode is fine) and any dietary requirements.
If you are not a school teacher or a university staff member, please email David Read (d.read@soton.ac.uk) to register your attendance. Please indicate if you wish to attend the whole day or just the afternoon session.


Organised by: Chemistry and the Maths and Science Learning Centre at the University of Southampton with support from the Mid-Southern Counties section of the RSC