Chemistry GCSE - advice please!

[TantrumErgo]

I'm not actually HE-ing (though did think about it), but need advice from HE-ers whose DC have done/are doing Chemistry GCSE. My DS is nine and is completely obsessed with Chemistry (he has AS, and Chemistry is one of his two obsessions). He wants to do a GCSE in it and would, according to his school science teacher, pass it standing on his head - but for the fact that 20 percent of the marks are derived from lab work/practicals. As we don't know any tame Chemists (we've tried our local university, to no avail - apparently they're not insured for nine-year-olds), we're rather stuck. Has anyone managed to overcome this problem? I'd be very grateful for any bright ideas. My husband and I are both academics, but strictly on the Arts side, so can't help much!

have you tried your local secondary school - as they will be insured for under 18s -
also for general info and possible local event the royal society of chemistry is well worth having a look

Or if your local secondary says no to 9 year olds, there are lots of all-through schools taking children from 5-18. They might be helpful.

They are centre assessed practicals. Carried out under controlled conditions in an exam centre and marked by centre staff, then moderated by the exam board. A university wouldn't be able to do it apart from any insurance issues I wouldn't have thought. I don't know if schools would take in an external candidate for this. We haven't, and I'm not sure I'd be keen to take on a 9 year old that I hadn't prepared for the assessment. But it's not really cone up for us!

Do iGCSEs have controlled assessments? Worth a look?

Does he have a science specialist teacher BTW? Is a middle school, or an independent?

Thanks for the responses.

IGCSE is a very good suggestion. I'll look at the syllabus after Downton Abbey!!

He goes to an independent prep school which tends to be a feeder for boarding schools (and some local independent secondaries). He does have a specialist science teacher, who has been great with him (doing experiments at lunch times and such like). I tried DD's 5-18 independent school, and had no luck there - but that doesn't mean others wouldn't be different.

We are doing Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry syllabus here

We did Physics and Biology with them and found them good. My youngest did Physics at 11 and enjoyed it very much. There is an exam paper "alternative to practical" which you can do as a private candidate.

Be warned that you have to be able to write very fast. Our biggest issue with DD2 was not the science at all, it was getting her to complete the papers in time, legibly, and to phrase things in such a way that it didn't sound as though it was written by a primary school child! Even though it is science, you need a reasonably good level of literacy to do well.

Thanks, musicposy. That is very helpful. We've got a Chem. tutor coming round to have a chat with DS tonight to see how much he actually knows.

DS is doing G5 Music Theory today, and my main concern is that his handwriting is very much that of a nine-year-old boy...