Chemistry students among the best in the country

Four Barrow Sixth Form College A level students have proved they are among the brightest chemists in the country after achieving awards in this year’s UK Chemistry Olympiad. Amy Spry, 18 and Katie Pugh, 17, both of Barrow, and Alex Mosley, 18, from Millom, gained silver awards in the prestigious national competition while 18-year-old Harry Smith, of Barrow, scooped a high–marked bronze. The students were among the elite chemistry students nationwide selected for the event, which is run by the Royal Society of Chemistry to challenge students. It includes a written paper on real-world chemistry problems and is a chance to showcase skills required at university level. They are all in the second year of their A levels at the Rating Lane campus. Katie, a former St Bernard’s School student, has a place to study a degree in earth sciences at Oxford University while Alex Mosley, a former Millom School student, will go to Lancaster University to complete a degree in medicine. Former Chetwynde student Amy and Harry, who went to St Bernard’s, will go to Durham University to study law and Cardiff University to study biomedical sciences respectively. Head of Chemistry Brian Gibson said the competition is only for the country’s best students. “They have succeeded in what is a very challenging task that tests their real-world scientific problem-solving skills. They have to complete a series of degree-standard questions and use their knowledge and skills to understand situations that are more advanced than A level chemistry and not familiar to them,” he said. “Their achievements put them in the top 30 per cent of A level chemistry students nationally and we are thrilled that they have performed so well at this level.” The students received ecertificates to mark their achievement.