Clevedon Students Impress in Elite Chemistry Olympiad Against Thousands Nationwide
By Schools Correspondent
Students at Clevedon School in North Somerset are celebrating an outstanding set of results after taking part in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Chemistry Olympiad for the first time.
Nineteen students from Years 11 and 12 entered the prestigious national competition, which is typically aimed at Year 13 A-level chemists and attracts more than 17,000 participants from across the country.
Despite the challenge, Clevedon students delivered an impressive performance, with a number of awards achieved in the school’s first ever entry.
Year 12 student Harry Gomm achieved a Silver Award, placing him in the top 25% of entrants nationally, narrowly missing out on Gold by just a handful of marks.
Year 11 student Jack Tagg also impressed, securing a Bronze Award despite sitting a paper designed for students two years above his current level.
Additional Bronze Awards were achieved by Adain W, Amelia E, Joseph W, Emma H, Daisy K, Lily W and Betty C, rounding off a strong collective performance.
A further group of students also took part in the demanding paper, which tested advanced chemical understanding far beyond the standard curriculum.
Headteacher Jim Smith said: “This is an exceptional achievement, particularly in our first year entering the Olympiad.
“Our students have shown real determination and academic ambition, and they should be extremely proud of themselves. We are certainly proud of each and one of them. Thanks to all our superb staff, led by Head of Chemistry Miss Clarke, who prepared them so well.”
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The competition paper included challenging real-world chemistry topics ranging from swimming pool chemistry to natural compounds such as henna and rare minerals, testing students’ ability to apply knowledge in unfamiliar contexts.
