In the best-ever result by QE, all four boys who took part in this year’s British Physics Olympiad were awarded gold medals in Round 1 and one qualified for the second round.
Robert Swan, of Year 13, was placed in the top 50 and therefore went through to Round 2 of the olympiad (BPhO). Like Robert, Vinul Wimalaweera, Alex Zanre and Tianlin Zhang, who are also in the Upper Sixth, were awarded gold – an accolade given to just 200 of the 1600-plus entrants that the national competition attracts.
“I was very impressed,” said Physics teacher Ashley Dyson. “Our previous best as a School was two golds in one year, so this is a significant achievement and reflects the boys’ hard work and enthusiasm.”
The BPhO was set up to encourage the study of Physics and to recognise excellence in young physicists through annual competitions. It aims to challenge able students with stimulating questions, allow them to have fun problem-solving, and to practise open-ended and unstructured questions as seen at higher levels of study.
Robert has already sat the paper for Round 2 and is awaiting the results. The top five in the country will have the opportunity represent Britain at the International Physics Olympiad, which this year will take place in Mumbai, India.