Congratulations to Zenan (centre) Eddie and Tony on their success in the British Chemistry Olympiad. Zenan gained the Gold Award (the highest achievement possible awarded to only the top 10% of students) and Eddie and Tony both received Silver Awards (awarded to the top 25%). The Olympiad, organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry,  is a nationwide competition and their success is a huge achievement as the Olympiad goes beyond the A Level syllabus. It tests the ability of students to apply their knowledge to real-world situations and is focuses on critical problem-solving skills. The Olympiad is very well-regarded by universities as it shows just the level of academic curiosity and exceptional ability that they are looking for. Questions often include topics such as  thermodynamics, kinetics, reaction mechanisms, spectroscopy, synthesis, periodicity, acid–base chemistry and redox processes. Our Head of Chemistry Geraldine proudly stated "This is a phenomenal achievement and is testament to the hard work and talent of the students and the strong reasoning and analytical skills that Chemistry at Hurtwood has taught them."