Analytical Division’s 2007 National Schools’ Analyst Competition
The 2007 final was held on the 18/19 June at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich. The event was won by Birkdale School from Sheffield, with Manchester High School for Girls second and Blundells School from Tiverton in Devon, third.
The team from Birkdale School being presented with the Schools’ Analyst Competition shield. |
This was only the second time that all Regions of the UK were represented, with over 200 schools competing for the 16 final places. Again, this year the practical part of the event was of a forensic nature and was introduced to the competitors by a member of the CSI team from Norwich and Dr Andrew Mayes from UEA, who devised the experimental programme. The scenario having been set, the teams, each consisting of three (year 12) students, were then required to undertake a number of analytical tasks involving the measurement of sucrose by polarimetry, paracetamol by HPLC, caffeine by UV spectroscopy and vitamin C by titrimetry. To complete the tasks in the time allocated, each team had to work as a unit, allocating separate tasks to individual team members. Having completed the practical tasks, the teams then had to calculate concentrations and abundances sometimes using units and formulae with which they were not familiar. Finally they had to predict an outcome for the scenario and write a brief report with recommendations.
The teams were assessed on their competence in the laboratory, safety and housekeeping, in addition to their results and conclusions. The assessors for the event were Dr Sara Evans (University of Hertfordshire), Dr Megan McLean (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Brian Woodget (Coordinator of the competition). The assessment panel was chaired by Professor David Russell from UEA, who also awarded the prizes.
The 2007 competition was sponsored by the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund, with the RSC (East Anglia Region/AD and the East Anglia Section), Anglia DNA Services Ltd and HFL Ltd, all sponsoring the final. Many other companies are to be thanked for sponsoring the heats, which enabled teams to reach the final. Prizes for the first three teams were £750, £500 and £250 respectively, all other teams received £100. The individual team members for the first three teams all received book tokens and all competitors were given a copy of the RSC book, “The Age of the Molecule”. Birkdale School were also awarded the Competition Shield which they will hold for the year.
The final in 2008 will be held at the University of Wales, Bangor, on the 23/24 June .
Brian Woodget
Coordinator for the National Schools’ Analyst Competition
