On Thursday 23 January, 28 of our Year 12 and 13 Chemistry A Level students participated in Round One of the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad, staying after school to compete.

This prestigious competition requires students to apply their GCSE and A Level knowledge to novel scenarios, solve complex problems and address current scientific issues.

According to the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), “The competition is designed to challenge. Students should see it as an opportunity to develop their thinking and problem-solving skills and to test their existing knowledge of chemistry in real world situations.”

The competition is highly challenging, with students eligible to receive Bronze, Silver and Gold awards based on their performance.

Following Round One, the RSC will invite the top 25 - 30 students from all who enter to advance to Round Two. This stage involves a weekend of lessons and demonstrations, culminating in a marked assessment.

The top four students from the Round Two assessments will have the opportunity to compete in Round Three, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this year.

We congratulate all the students for their efforts in tackling these challenging questions.

Below you can read some students thought of this competition:

It was tough, but it was a nice challenge. Daniel B, 12 Ludgate

The questions were difficult, but it was better than last year! It was fun and I felt I have improved a lot. I would recommend Year 12 students to do it again next year. Cissy T, 13 Bow

The Chemistry Olympiad provided us with the opportunity to apply our A Level learning to more challenging questions beyond our specification. I enjoyed the opportunity to think outside the box! Grace H, 13 Piccadilly