Chemistry Challenges

Salters' Festivals of Chemistry

Chemistry teacher Dr. Tom Heaton accompanied two Year 7 students, Paul Jackson and Kia Hacking, and two Year 8 students, Peter Ransome and Laura Vaughan to the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry.  Laura's report from the day is as follows:

When we arrived we were taken into a lecture theatre for an introductory talk and to be told the agenda for the day. We were then taken upstairs to a lab to be told what our first task was. We were forensic scientists and had to solve a murder using chromatography, universal indicator and salts. About 30 minutes through the teachers left to have another talk and a tour of the campus.

At 12 o’ clock we had lunch outside then went back up to the lab for the University Challenge, in this task we had to mix dilute hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulfate. The mixture changed colour gradually to yellow and we had to get the mixture just right so that it went opaque at exactly 1 minute.

Whilst the students did this, the teachers went to a hands-on CPD Programme.  At 2 pm everyone went to the lecture theatre again for a Chemical Magic Demonstration where we wer shown things such as 'Elephant's Toothpaste' and 'Think Ink'.  After this had finished there was a prize giving for the Salters' Challenge and the University Challenge.  BRGS identified the murderer but didn't win the Salters' Challenge.  However, we came second in the University Challenge and won a molecular model kit for the school.

RSC International Olympiad

This national competition provides an opportunity to stretch and challenge post-16 students studying chemistry.  The competition involves students answering a challenging written test of chemical knowledge.  The questions are based on real world chemistry problems and often stimulate much debate, raising awareness of what chemistry is all about.  They provide a good opportunity to develop some of the skills required for study at university and beyond.

Certificates were awarded to the following students:

Gold:

Ben Porteous (Y13)

Silver:

Hassaan Ahmed (Y13), Joe Donaldson (Y13), Jessie Nutt (Y13), Tom Wilkinson (Y12), Lewis Astin (Y13)

Bronze:

Ali Ansari (Y12), Rosie Morrell (Y13), Ali Hammad (Y12), Ben Clegg (Y12), Michael Allen (Y12), Mitchell Heap (Y12), Adam Hardy (Y12), Emily Fell (Y12), Nathan Mark (Y12), George Williams (Y12)

The following students all received participation certificates: Charlotte Hartley (Y12), Phillip Johns (Y12), Daniel Lund (Y12), Arslan Ahmed (Y12), Oliver Holdsworth-Miller (Y12), Alfie Taylor (Y12), Iona Cloran (Y12), Emily Blackburn (Y12) and Chris Rigge (Y12).

University of Cambridge Lower Sixth Challenge

This competition aims to provide an excellent experience for anyone considering taking their studies further.  Set by an experienced team of teachers and university chemists, it is designed for Year 12 students but aims to take them significantly beyond the syllabus and encourage them to think about science in the way they would at university.  Certificates were awarded as follows:

Silver:

Michael Allen, Adam Hardy, Joanna Taubwurcel, Tom Wilkinson, Joe Mills

Copper:

Amy Rogers, Ali Hammad, Oliver Holdsworth-Miller, Phillip Astridge, Emma Dodd, Jordan Lee Cheong, Joe Collins, Arslan Ahmed, Mitchell Heap, Patrick Knott, Saif Mahmood, Marcus Preedy and Eve Williams.

CSciTeach

The final piece of news from our chemistry round-up is that following on from her award of MRSC, Heather Bowden, Head of Chemistry at BRGS has been awarded the designation "Chartered Science Teacher" (CSciTeach) by the Royal Society of Chemistry.  This award recognises the combination of skills, knowledge, understanding and expertis erequired by individuals involved in the practice and advancement of science teaching and learning.

Congratulations to all award-winners!