Two students from The Sixth Form at Harrogate Grammar School have been recognised for their outstanding performances in a national competition organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Kiran Amin won a Gold Award and Ahmed Eltahir won a Bronze Award in the prestigious RSC Chemistry Olympiad, an annual competition which challenges students’ problem-solving and thinking skills, as well as testing their knowledge of chemistry in real-world situations.
The Year 13 students were among 7160 students nationwide who entered the competition. Lockdown meant they had to prepare and take part remotely at the same time as taking their school assessments.
Chemistry teacher Lee Shellard said:
I’m very proud of what Kiran and Ahmed have achieved. To put themselves forward for the competition at a very challenging time, with other competing demands, is a reflection of their commitment and dedication of Chemistry.
Kiran, who hopes to study Mathematics at Downing College, Cambridge was one of the top 8.9% of students who entered the Chemistry Olympiad. He said:
It was a challenging competition because the questions were centred around interesting concepts beyond the A level syllabus. I am proud of my result; this competition has furthered my scientific thinking and given me a taste for further study.
Headteacher Neil Renton said:
I’m really impressed by Kiran and Ahmed’s perseverance and dedication, which has resulted in them achieving well-deserved excellence. I hope their success inspires other students to test themselves through our wide range of co-curricular groups and challenges, to help them become the best they can be.
