Hard won success: Perse students triumph at ‘Top of the Bench’
We are excited to announce that a team of our talented young scientists have been awarded first place at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ‘Top of the Bench’ contest for Mid-Anglia.
Competing against nine other schools – both state and independent – from across East Anglia, our Upper students performed exceptionally well under pressure, demonstrating both strong teamwork and scientific ingenuity.
Top of the Bench Challenge
The Top of the Bench competition is an intense, lab-based problem-solving chemistry event designed to test practical skills and theoretical knowledge. This year’s task centred on titration, which is a precise analytical technique used to determine the concentration of substances in a solution.
Our students were tasked with calculating the exact concentration of different ions within a sample of hard water. This requires meticulous accuracy, as even a single drop can change the results of the experiment.
An “Underdog” Victory
What makes this win truly remarkable is the composition of our team. Typically, teams in the challenge are comprised of one Year 11, one Year 10, and two Year 9 students. However, we entered the competition with two Year 10s (Umar and Benji) and two Year 9s (Helena and William).
“I’m pleased to report that despite not having a Year 11s on the team, and the fact that our students had never performed a titration before, they cleverly mastered the technique on the spot. Their ability to adapt and out-perform teams with older students is a result of some brilliant problem-solving and positive attitude,” said Dr Paul Slatford, Teacher of Chemistry.
“I’m incredibly proud of our students. Winning was a huge feat, all things considered. Our team stepped up to the challenge and delivered an impressive performance.”
Winning the Mid-Anglia heat is a prestigious achievement. It is another wonderful nod to the strength of our Science Department and the incredible potential of our students.
A huge congratulations to Umar, Benji, Helena, and William for their achievement and effort in the event. We can’t wait to see what you do next!