In mid-February, Oundle pupils took on the significant challenge of The Royal Society of Chemistry’s UK Chemistry Olympiad. Two Upper Sixth Form pupils, Thomas (L) and Robert (Sc) won Gold Awards, with Robert placing in the top five percent nationally.
In addition to the two Gold awards, five pupils received Silver, and six pupils achieved Bronze Awards.
The competition is open to all post-16 students, who sit the challenging written test of chemical knowledge with the questions in Round One helping to develop some of the skills required for study at university and beyond. The two hour paper is a true test of a pupil’s chemical expertise. Not only does it test recall, but also an ability for pupils to apply their knowledge to novel and demanding problems. The questions are above and beyond what they would expect to face in a traditional A level or Pre U examination.
