Top of the Bench

Two teams from Hymers entered the Hull and East Yorkshire round of the Royal Society of Chemistry's national competition Top of the Bench for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 students.

The teams were required to design and execute the manufacture of a chemical timer to time exactly three minutes. A successful two and a half hours of intense team practical activity in the chemical laboratories of the University of Hull represented a major achievement, particularly as it took place between 18:30 and 21:00! Judges from the cream of the local chemical industries applied rigorous criteria. The students revelled in the challenge and were notably buzzing at the completion of the test.

There were 20 teams from schools in the area, and I am pleased to report that the teams from Hymers were placed first and second.

The second placed team comprised Lydia A (Year 11), Charlie T (Year 10), Aishwarya V and Riya K (both Year 9).

The winners, who qualified for an all-expenses paid trip to the National Final in Edinburgh on 16 March 2024 with their time of 181 seconds, were Zaid A (Year 11), Adam M (Year 10), Amelia H and James G (both Year 9).

“During the selection and preparation process, I quickly became convinced that we had two strong teams, and so it has proved.”

— Mr. G Prescott - Head of Chemistry

Second place team - Riya, Aishwarya, Lydia and Charlie

Winning team - Amelia, Zaid, Adam and James