Top of the Bench competition triumph – for the third year in a row

QE convincingly beat other leading London schools to win the regional heat of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition for the third consecutive year.

The School has now won the heat five times in the past seven years. This year, QE emerged as comfortable victors, with a total of 81 points, beating University College School into second place on 72 points, while Westminster School took third, with 67. The team now go on to the UK final in Loughborough University in April.

As in previous years, the boys were prepared for the heat in Ealing by Chemistry teacher Elizabeth Kuo.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “For the boys to achieve so highly against considerable competition is an extraordinary achievement. My congratulations go to them and their teacher.”

The competition is open to pupils aged 14–16 who are studying Chemistry. QE’s team comprised: Year 9 boys Bhargab Ghoshal and George Popa; Bhiramah Rammanohar, of Year 10, and Tharunkumar Muthu Gurunath, who is in Year 11.

Of the eight rounds, QE won three outright and was placed equal first in round 4.

To be successful, competitors had to know the periodic table very well, Dr Kuo explained. The titles and subjects of rounds included Odd Man Out, General Chemistry Knowledge, Calculations and Identifying Substances from Information Given. Most questions were for the whole team but each team member also had to face a number of individual questions.