Perse students crowned national champions in chemistry challenge
Three Year 9 Perse students have won the national final of the You Be the Solution Challenge, competing against teams from across the UK.
The You Be the Solution Challenge is a national STEM competition designed to inspire students to explore chemistry through problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity. Open to students from Year 6 to Year 9, the challenge sees teams compete in timed quizzes and submit a video project exploring key chemistry concepts, with both elements contributing to their final score.
This year’s competition focused on health sciences, challenging students to form start-up companies and develop sustainable, science-based solutions to improve their local communities. Students were required to pitch their ideas as a company, identifying a real-world problem, presenting a science-based solution, and demonstrating its potential impact on their community.
On Sunday 21 June, three of our Year 9 chemistry students, William, Ronit, and Alexander, competed in the national final of the competition, achieving an outstanding victory. Representing The Perse, they demonstrated exceptional knowledge, teamwork, and composure under pressure to secure first place nationally.
Competing as AeroGuard Solutions, the team impressed the judges with their affordable three-layer air filtration system, designed to tackle pollutants ranging from household dust to microscopic airborne particles. Their solution focused on accessibility, ease of maintenance, and improving air quality in homes, schools, and workplaces.
William Blackaby, Teacher of Chemistry, said, “I’m immensely proud of the boys. Their scientific knowledge was strong, but what really distinguished them was their willingness to listen, question and build on one another’s ideas. Through thoughtful collaboration and reflection, they developed a stronger solution and presented it with confidence and maturity. They thoroughly deserved this success.”
Congratulations to William, Ronit, and Alexander on this remarkable accomplishment.