A-LEVEL chemistry students from Farnham Sixth Form College recently participated in round one of the 48th International Chemistry Olympiad where they competed against thousands of students from across the country.

The annual event is organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry and is designed to challenge and stretch post-16 students studying chemistry. The competition culminates in the selection of a team of four students to represent the UK in the International Chemistry Olympiad, offering the opportunity for students to travel and meet fellow chemistry enthusiasts from all over the world.

The competition consists of two rounds, the first being a two-hour written exam. 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.

From this round, the four best students from the country are selected to progress on to the International round where they represent the UK. Once again, this is a test of chemical knowledge and practical skills. This year’s final will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, with teams from 80 countries competing for first place.

Natalie Rees was awarded a gold award, placing her in the top one per cent of A-level chemists in England, Aaron Beaumont, Ellen Spackman, Sophie Fennell and William Bell each received silver awards, while Abbie Taylor and Rebecca Dicker received bronze awards.

Dr Jason Jones, director of Farnham Sixth Form College, said: “I am proud of all the students that took part, and they should be extremely proud of themselves too. This is a challenging competition and they all did excellently.”