One-page resource on electronegativity, covering a bullet point definition of electronegativity, polar bonds, the effect of dipoles cancelling, and which elements are most electronegative. Links to other areas of the course are made by explaining that although electronegativity is what you see in covalent bonded molecules, it correlates with higher first ionisation energy. Suitable for all A-level specifications, but particularly ties into the AQA and OCR content. An extract of a table of electronegativity is included covering all the common non-metals.

One-page reference giving a case study of how to answer questions on experiment design. Suitable for GCSE and A-level students. The case study is testing catalase-catalysed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide at different temperatures. This set of notes is oriented towards exam technique and how to answer multi-mark questions on this kind of topic: the need to define and set up an independent variable, to measure a dependent variable, define some control variables, and maybe plot the data and mention some safety precautions. I specifically mention that you don’t need to give too many control variables-students often think they can get more marks listing dozens.

Notes on the tests for anions for OCR Gateway GCSE chemistry on a single page. There’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too. A lot of work went to squeezing everything in clearly! There’s versions of the resource for colour and black and white printing.

Notes on gas chromatography and GC-MS for the current Edexcel A-level specification. There’s pictures and diagrams, explanation of a calibration curve and links to three top recommended videos in this one-page resource.

Notes on one page each covering all the tests for anions and cations for AQA GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying. With the positive ion tests, I’ve included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion. With the negative ion tests, there’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too.

I’ve found respiration is one of the most important things for students to get right studying biology. The equations are so important, but many GCSE and even some weaker A-level biology students can’t instantly give them. I explain to students that they’re an instant grade boost. Here’s a worksheet and set of notes on one page on the most common respiration questions. There’s the word equations, a guide through the standard question about how your heart and breathing rate change with exercise, and there’s links to some recommended videos. Versions included for colour and black and white printing. Full mark scheme included with the worksheet. Remembering the equations for respiration is one of the last things I always go over with students just before their exams, because it’s such a morale booster to instantly get full marks on one of these questions. I will never forget what one student told me in 2021: “It came up! Exactly what you said, it came up!” Although this worksheet and set of notes works for students taking any exam board and A-level students who need a recap, it was particularly written with an eye to AQA 9-1 GCSE mark schemes. Questions consulted included: 8461/1H 2021, question 7 8461/1F 2020, question 4 8461/2F 2018, questions 7 and 11 BL2HP 2017, question 5 I’ve got a separate set of notes for Edexcel iGCSE which uses the term “lactate” instead of lactic acid.

Poster showing how you divide by a fraction. There’s two case studies, one simple, dividing a fraction by another fraction, and another more complicated, starting from a whole number. Suitable to be printed large on a classroom wall or at small size for students to stick into their exercise book or folder. Suitable for students around KS2 to KS3 and weaker GCSE students. As an advanced point for students doing well, it introduces the idea of reciprocals.

Here’s a one-page diagram of reverse percentages, showing and explaining the idea that you have to find the single percentage change that turns into old into new and reverse it. Both % increase and % decline are covered as examples. Suitable for students to glue into their book as an example or for putting as a poster in a classroom.

Notes on one page covering all the tests for cations for OCR Gateway GCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. I’ve also included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion. Versions included both in colour and in black and white for photocopying.

Graphic poster listing all the products of combustion and harms they cause. Suitable for all GCSE and A-level courses. Colour and black and white versions included.

A lot of students have trouble with the idea that there’s two ways to use a divide sign: when you want to split something up between a group of known size, and when you want to split something up into units of known size but an unknown number of units. So here’s a poster covering that which explains it by telling a happy story. Could look good on a wall of a classroom or to give students to put into their books. Because people have a lot of trouble learning this, this could be useful for KS1, KS2, KS3 and weaker GCSE students who need a bit of help.

Notes on one page each covering all the tests for anions and cations for Edexcel iGCSE chemistry, including the precipitation equations. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying. With the positive ion tests, I’ve included model equations, both complete and ionic, for the precipitation reactions, with examples for a +2 and +3 ion. With the negative ion tests, there’s both a full and ionic equation for carbonate, sulfate and halide ion reactions to give students good models. To show the differences in formulas between compounds of metals that form +2 and +1 ions, there’s equations for both sodium and calcium carbonate too, and details of what happens if you use different acids.

Notes on the tests for gases and for water for AQA 9-1 chemistry GCSE, with notes on one page and a table on a separate sheet. The notes include an explanation of what the tests tell you about the properties of each chemical and links to recommended videos. Versions both in colour and in black and white for photocopying.

When doing tuition using an online platform like Zoom or Skype, you often need to put formulas into the chat box or onto an online whiteboard that wasn’t designed for scientific use and doesn’t support constructing superscript and subscript characters. Also, you may need to write out formulas very quickly if your student asks something unexpected. So this is a list of a huge number of formulas for the major GCSE and iGCSE chemistry courses using the Unicode superscript and subscript characters, indexed and ready to go for tuition. (For other countries, it should be suitable for tuition of students up to around age 16.) Covering thirteen pages, sections include: common ions organic chemistry: combustion, alkene hydration, alcohol oxidation acid-base: acids with metals, carbonates, oxides, hydroxides, ammonia reactions common reversible reactions: Haber process, syngas, the Contact process inorganic reactions: thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate, electrolysis (water, sodium chloride, copper sulfate with graphite or copper electrodes), displacement, thermite, metals reacting with oxygen and water, halogen displacement, both with overall and ionic and half-equations) the chemical tests: precipitation, hydroxide tests the chemical reactions of biology: respiration and photosynthesis core maths equations that might be needed in science, such as area of a circle, volume of a sphere, volume of a cylinder etc. some prebuilt unit conversions Versions of important equations are included in multiple forms, such as with or without state symbols, so you can select one that matches the level you’re working at with the student and keep the lesson flowing. I’ve used these formulas for a huge number of paid tuition jobs, and couldn’t do anything without them-they’ve really helped me make things clear to students, keep lessons moving and give a professional impression. Many students have asked me how I make equations appear looking good in the chat of a call, or even asked me for this document to use themselves! The document is an editable rtf and docx file with the equations and all the superscripts and subscripts and some common symbols at the start. You can build your own equations if you need them or edit or reorganise the document to suit your way of working.

Notes and worksheet on series and parallel circuits covering voltage, current and resistance for the Edexcel 9-1 GCSE. There’s a version filled in for revision and a blank worksheet for students to fill in themselves. The notes aim to put all on one page all the rules of potential difference, current and resistance for series and parallel circuits, something students have a lot of trouble managing. In particular, it shows the way that the rules of series and parallel circuits for current and PD are opposite to one another, something also stressed in a “how do I remember all this?” guide at the bottom. A power triangle for Ohm’s law is also included to help students know what calculation to do. These notes should be suitable also for teaching OCR Gateway GCSE physics. Please note that this set of notes isn’t needed for Edexcel international GCSE which doesn’t go as far into the topic.

Lesson plan on ionic bonding, featuring a lesson plan presentation, one-page notes for students to take home and a question sheet for students to do. Covers ionic bonding, state at room temperature, common properties, conductivity of electricity, strength and dot and cross diagrams for forming ions.There’s diagrams, pictures and links to two recommended YouTube videos. The question sheet is intended to be a graduated scheme of work with first fill-in-the-blank and then written questions. Written for AQA 9-1 GCSE chemistry and also for Edexcel GCSE and iGCSE chemistry, but suitable for all the major exam boards. It’s also good for introduction to A-level as a recap.

Revision notes on trigonometry: all the equations with all the rearrangements. Covers trigonometry of a right angle triangle, the sine rule and the cosine rule. Also explains when you can use the sine and cosine rule equations (e.g. that you can work out an angle using the cosine rule when you know all the sides). Suitable for all the GCSE maths specifications.

Combined lesson plan for Edexcel iGCSE chemistry: a presentation on metallic bonding, simple fill-in-the-blank questions questions and a harder sheet of written questions linked to the presentation, and a take-home set of notes on one page. Also suitable as a recap for A-level students. Covers metallic bonding, conduction of electricity and heat, the fact that metals are malleable/ductile and alloys. Starts with a mixer exercise covering uses of metals and also includes some properties and uses of the most common metals and types of steel. Need to use this lesson plan in a hurry and want to deliver a polished lesson? I’ve got you covered: each slide ends with a full stop marking that it’s the last point on the slide so you know when the slide’s going to change. Also, each exam question slide has a spare line before the answer is revealed so you don’t accidentally show the answer too early. Included is a fairly easy fill-in-the-blanks worksheet and an exam-style written questions worksheet matching questions on the presentation, and the mark schemes for both. Both worksheets have pictures and diagrams to stimulate students. The notes have diagrams and also links to two recommended videos for revision. Besides covering metallic bonding and content like specific types of steel, the presentation introduces themes for future lessons, like that metal recycling saves energy and rust prevention.

This two-page resource lists pathogens, transmission routes, disease effects, treatment methods and other facts for the human diseases on the Eduqas A-level biology course. The large number of disease case studies on the course is something students need a lot of help with. A blank worksheet version is also included for students to fill in themselves. To help students build up a common sense knowledge of the kind of issues surrounding these diseases that could be important in future and likely topics of exam questions, there’s a section on “other things to know” explaining issues like malaria potentially being spread by global warming. That should make this set of notes particularly useful for students aiming high and looking to study medicine, nursing and biosciences degrees in future or getting ready for interviews. It wasn’t possible to fit every topic onto two pages (e.g. flu recombination is skipped) but this worksheet gives a good concise summary of the key ideas of the topic. This worksheet should also be suitable for WJEC A-level biology students, although I don’t teach people for that course currently. I’ve had positive feedback from students who found it interesting and felt that it gave them a sense of issues in modern medicine-one student studying history A-level said it helped put studying AIDS in history in context.