We are delighted to announce that a team from Brighton College claimed victory in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Top of the Bench competition over the Easter break.
They first had to beat over 60 schools in the region to secure a place at the national final at Edinburgh Napier University, before going up against 30 other schools from all over the UK in Edinburgh, coming out on top. In total, over 1000 schools competed in the regional heats.
This year’s theme was water – although this might appear rather mundane, water is one of the most important molecules to life and one that has incredibly interesting chemistry. The competition started with a chemical knowledge test, where pupils worked in pairs to tackle a series of challenging questions.
After this, the nerve-wracking announcement of the results commenced, with schools placing in 6th place and above read out one by one by Professor Reid. After a few tense minutes, the team were announced as winners of the RSC’s 2024 Top of the Bench competition! They were presented with certificates, Amazon vouchers and a trophy by Professor Reid.
Whilst waiting for the results, the competitors and accompanying staff were treated to a series of talks about life as a research chemist, the chemistry around making water safe to drink and finally, an address from the President of the RSC, Professor Gill Reid.
An amazing achievement - well done to you all!
