A-LEVEL CHEMISTRY

James grew up in North London and studied for his MChem in Chemistry at the University of York. He decided he liked York so much that he completed his PGCE and started his teaching career there too. He moved to Oxford in 2019 (he finally had enough of the cold Yorkshire weather) and has worked at d’Overbroeck’s ever since. He believes that schools should strive to teach not only academic skills, but practical skills too. When not in the Chemistry lab or driving students to and from expeditions James enjoys playing guitar and hockey.

Prior to teaching Chemistry at the Sixth Form, Andy was a student at d’Overbroeck’s International School where he studied Chemistry, Maths, Biology and Politics. He also liked rock climbing and badminton alongside his studies. He enjoyed his time with us in a welcoming environment where he thrived, and he then went on to study Chemistry at Imperial College. After completing his studies at Imperial, he chose to return to Oxford to do his D.Phil., where he was able to get involved in outreach programmes and inspire youngsters to take scientific pathways. This experience led him to private tuition, where he could help students overcome their challenges. After some time doing private tuition 1-1, Andy decided he wanted to help more students, and the first place that came to mind was d’Overbroeck’s: the place where he started. He is passionate about helping many students achieve their full potential and hopes to inspire students through teaching his favourite subject.

Chi obtained a PhD from the University of Manchester in the subject of Surface Chemistry. He continued as a research scientist for the next 20 years, working at universities in the UK and Japan. In addition to his research, which is published in over 60 journal articles, Chi had significant teaching responsibilities, especially at University College London where he worked for 10 years. He taught core topics in Physical Chemistry to undergraduates and offered courses connected to his specialism to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. In 2017, Chi took up a post at the University of Liverpool. Here, Chi had the opportunity to mentor talented Year 12 students via the University’s flagship outreach scheme. He found it a privilege to be able to inspire and motivate young people and to help them to fulfil their potential. This rewarding experience encouraged Chi to make the switch to teaching at the secondary level, leading him here to d’Overbroeck’s. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, Asian Cinema, and hockey.