Year 12 and 13 students from Holcombe Grammar School in Chatham are delighted to have achieved an impressive set of results in the 55th annual UK Chemistry Olympiad.
The International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is a renowned annual competition that brings together the world's most talented chemistry students at a secondary school level. It is designed to challenge participating students over the age of 16 and offer them an opportunity to develop their thinking and problem-solving skills by applying their existing knowledge of chemistry to real-world situations.
The students from Holcombe Grammar School participated in the UK Chemistry Olympiad Round One in January this year, covering a variety of topics including rocket fuels, electronegativity, amino acid complexes, vaping, and cheese. As the International Chemistry Olympiad 2023 competition is held in Switzerland, the topic of cheese was obligatory, quizzing students on the conversion of lactose to lactic acid during fermentation in cheese manufacturing.
It was an extremely challenging competition, with the grade boundaries having been raised when compared to previous years, meaning students needed to gain more marks to achieve specific awards. The school is proud to have come away with a total of 20 awards: 11 Bronze, 7 Silver, and 2 Gold. Congratulations to students, Euan Rudd and Matthew Cross for succeeding in achieving the Gold Award.
Mr Rayner, Head of Chemistry at Holcombe Grammar, said, "We are thrilled with the success of our students. These results are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and ambition of our students, and we are immensely proud of their accomplishment.
"The International Chemistry Olympiad is an amazing opportunity for our students to push themselves, develop their skills, and gain recognition for their hard work. We are ecstatic that our students have done so well and look forward to seeing continued success in the future."
Euan Rudd, a Year 13 student and recipient of the Gold Award, reflected on the experience, saying, "The Chemistry Olympiad was a fantastic experience. As well as allowing me to test my understanding of the subject in an engaging and challenging way, it also gave me an insight into how far and wide chemistry is applied in all aspects of life. I would encourage anybody to take this opportunity to further their experience of scientific thinking."
