Cambridge Chemistry Challenge

Each year, the School takes part in The Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, which aims to stretch and challenge students with a keen interest in chemistry.

The competition, organised and run by St Catherine’s College, Cambridge, provides excellent opportunities for enrichment and for pupils to challenge their knowledge, understanding and application of chemistry well beyond the Higher chemistry curriculum.

This year saw an extremely high level of competition again, and we are delighted to share that 20 senior pupils took part, with 9 achieving an award:

Award Winners:

• Copper Award: S6’s Sally, Anna, Aishan, Myles, Zakariya, Gregor, Gabriella
• Silver Award: Nikhil (S6)
• Gold Award: Ayyan (S4)

Ayyan, produced a particularly impressive performance, achieving a score which places him in the top 1% of pupils from across the UK. This result was made all the more remarkable given he is 2 years below most pupils taking part.

Ayyan’s performance earned him a prestigious invitation to a residential camp at the University of Cambridge, where he had an incredible experience, taking part in lectures and practical work in their state-of-the-art facilities.

Ayyan shared an account of his experience, and said;

“I had the honour of attending a residential course at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry. The invitation came after achieving a top performance in the 2025 Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. This was an opportunity that felt both exhilarating and daunting in equal measure.

I was the youngest participant. Everyone else was at least two school years ahead of me. Walking into the college for the first time, I felt the weight of that gap. My parents and teachers reassured me that I had earned my place. With their encouragement, I took on yet another challenge. I was a little nervous but determined.”

He continued;

“Life at Cambridge was unlike anything I had ever known. Mornings began in the historic dining hall of St Catharine’s, and soon after we found ourselves in lecture theatres and laboratories that have shaped some of the world’s greatest discoveries. Our lectures spanned topics from organic chemistry to Schrödinger’s equation, the Wave Function, and the Periodic Table, delivered with an intensity that demanded focus but sparked wonder.

Afternoons were spent in the world-class laboratories of the University of Cambridge, where theory came alive through carefully designed practicals. Handling equipment in those labs, under the guidance of world-leading chemists, was an experience I will never forget.”

Ayyan went on to say;

“What struck me most was the atmosphere of Cambridge itself: the centuries-old courts and the sense that we were part of something bigger than ourselves. It wasn’t just about chemistry, it was about discovering what it means to push your own limits, to think boldly, and to imagine where learning can take you.

The residential camp at Cambridge has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life so far, and it has deepened my determination to keep striving higher.”

An incredible experience for Ayyan to attend the residential camp, and congratulations to him and all pupils who took part in the challenge.