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My first impetus towards writing this book was an increasing frustration that, as a Science teacher, my pupils were being excluded from large swathes of practical work, especially in Chemistry, by the increasing restrictions imposed by Health and Safety regulations and the burden of risk assessments.

In my many years of experience, I have noticed that pupils seem to find Chemistry much the most difficult of the three sciences. In my view, this is because the subject requires both mathematical rigour and linguistic facility,[1] characteristics that are not always, or even often, present together in individuals.

I was also very concerned that, even in the context of hands-on science facilities, much beloved of current planners and educators, Chemistry is either under-represented or completely absent. For example, the local ‘Explore’ in Bristol had Chemistry exhibits in its earlier incarnation, but all vestiges of the subject disappeared when the new version of the exhibition opened.* I brought this fact to the attention of the management on my first visit to the new building.

The concept of chemicals as alien substances is a pervasive one in modern society, particularly as awareness of green issues and the environment has increased. Appreciating that food is made from chemicals might help to dispel some of the unnecessary suspicion around them.

I began to wonder if it would be possible to produce a text, initially aimed at the transition from KS2 to KS3 that would enable pupils to undertake some introductory Chemistry in a safer and more familiar context. The safety factor, naturally is much less of a problem (after all, we do not carry out risk assessments before we undertake cooking procedures at home, such as squeezing the juice from a lemon, or boiling water in a kettle).

This fact, in addition to introducing the necessary scientific concepts, may also debunk some of the mysteries and fear attached to cooking.

As I have written on, it has become increasingly evident that there is also scope for more advanced work in many of the areas covered. Much of the work as it stands is also appropriate for pupils of lower ability at Key Stage 4.

The main drawback, however, may be that pupils perceive the whole situation as so safe that they cannot accept the restrictions on, for example, eating or drinking the materials that they are dealing with.

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to be able to access education in settings other than schools (as pupils had to be home-schooled during this period). This also applies to students who, for one reason or another, either cannot or will not attend school in its usual form.

If you like the sound of this approach, please look out for the chapters as they are issued. As this is in lieu of a physical publication, I will be charging a fee for access to the teaching guidance. Please follow the link below in order to do this.

I am also intending to produce video content on a YouTube channel in due course.

[1] Contrary Imaginations (A Psychological Study of the English Schoolboy) by Liam Hudson