Written by Dr Jones, Head of Chemistry
On Wednesday 10th January, Laura V (Year 11), Beatrice B (Year 10), Carina K (Year 9) and Anisha K (Year 9) took part in the Top of the Bench regional heat in the undergraduate Chemistry teaching laboratories at the University of Oxford. The competition involves a practical task challenging to all year groups taking part, as well as a set of questions to answer. Judges then decide on the team that completed the task with the highest degree of accuracy and displayed excellent teamwork.
Facing stiff competition from across the Southeast region, our team ultimately didn’t make it through to the next round. They enjoyed the experience of working together in world-class laboratories and rounding off the day with a highly informative guest lecture.
“On Wednesday 10th January, we went to Oxford University, where we had the privilege of using the undergraduate labs and equipment. The team practical was both challenging and enjoyable, however, we did face many obstacles. We had to use separation techniques, followed by a titration and numerous calculations. It involved many steps and problem-solving from the team. On the whole, I think that the day was a valuable experience and it was very exciting to learn how to use new equipment.” Beatrice, Year 10
“I had a great time at the Top of the Bench Competition at Oxford University. Working in the first year lab taught me lots of useful Chemistry skills and I was fascinated by some of the technology we were able to use. I especially enjoyed using the vacuum filtration apparatus to separate our mixture, and listening to the speaker talking about her experiences working in chemistry.” Anisha, Year 9