Herts and Essex High School student wins top award in Cambridge University’s Chemistry Challenge
An A-level chemistry student in Bishop’s Stortford achieved a top award in a University of Cambridge competition.
The Chemistry Challenge aims to stretch students interested in the subject and provides experience for those considering taking their studies further.
Set by a team of Cambridge chemistry professors, it is designed to be accessible to the best A-level students but will take them significantly beyond the syllabus and encourage them to think about science in the way they would at university.
Herts and Essex High School Year 13 boy Gordon Chan achieved the highest Roentgenium award – the top 0.6% of all entries – in the 2024 competition.
As one of a small group of exceptional students from prestigious schools such as Westminster and Eton, he attended an exclusive winners’ camp at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge.
“This was a fantastic opportunity for Gordon to further showcase his skills and learn from the best in the field,” said a spokeswoman for the Warwick Road secondary.
Peter Jurd, Herts and Essex’s subject leader in chemistry, said: “We are thrilled, but not surprised, by the news of Gordon’s award and he should be very proud of his success. He has worked hard and we wish him many congratulations on this fabulous achievement.”
Gordon is also studying further maths, maths and physics for A-levels. Despite his chemistry prowess, he plans to study mathematics at university.