A group of year 12 students took part in the Royal Society of Chemistry Schools Analyst competition.
This is a national competition for students studying AS level Chemistry or equivalent. Teams are required to undertake various practical analytical determinations based on problems relevant to industrial or social needs. These are judged for skill, understanding and accuracy and are intended to promote teamwork and safety in the laboratory.
It was a fantastic experience for the students to be involved in this competitive analytical practical experience. They found the experience challenging, but thoroughly enjoyable, as they were exposed to techniques, which they were both familiar and unfamiliar with.
Feedback from students was great. Nabaa Almitwally said “The day was very insightful; I felt encouraged to be independent, which didn’t worry me as the instructions given were clear and easy to follow. It also built the teamwork and multitasking skills that I had as well as time management – learning what to prioritise and how to distribute tasks equally.”
Sahil Usman said “Personally I’d say this competition was a great opportunity, not only to compete, but to also gain further knowledge and experience of different practical skills, which we usually wouldn’t cover in AS level practicals. The night before the competition within our school, we were revising all the different practical skills as a team and took the competition very seriously, but today as the competition went on, we remained determined but also had fun taking part. I definitely think that our school should take part in more competitions like the one today, as it not only represents the school, but also teaches students new practical skills and how to plan things accordingly in a certain time limit.”
