The Spring Term was an exciting and enriching one for the Science Faculty, with students across all year groups engaging in hands-on experiments, national competitions, and ambitious projects that have stretched their thinking, honed their skills, and brought science vividly to life.
From exploring starlit skies to dissecting plucks, from Olympiad medals to experimental moonbases — our pupils have shown outstanding dedication, creativity, and enthusiasm. Here is a celebration of everything the faculty has achieved during the Spring Term.
Benenden secures a place in the International Biology Olympiad. Olivia (Six Two) is ranked one of the top four Biologists in the UK and is off to the Philippines to take part in the Olympiad which sees 75 countries competing. This is an incredible achievement and a first for Benenden. Olivia has already started her preparation with three other pupils from schools in London and Benenden staff are helping her to hone her practical skills and knowledge.
Melanie (Six One) and Nicole (Fifth) have been selected as finalists for the 4th European Nuclear Competition for Secondary Schools – 2025. As finalists they will be going to Spain (Bologna) for a week to embark on an intense competition and showcase their work and knowledge.
We are also delighted that Namsai (Six Two) Has been awarded the gold CREST certificate for her project on ‘How does pH affect the browning effect of the Maillard Reaction’. This is one of the highest level of science certificates you can achieve before University. The British Science association described this project as ‘a thoughtful and well-structured project that shows high level understanding of scientific concepts and the research process. We want to particularly commend Namsai on the development of skills beneficial for scientific research at a higher level, including critically analysing and identifying gaps in the literature, use of figures, and a detailed risk assessment. Namsai’s research was relevant and clearly communicated, and she demonstrated creativity in the way she adapted her method and interpreted her results. Congratulations again on an engaging and well researched project and we wish her all the best in her future scientific endeavours!’
The School has also been commended for our support and for the programme that we have put together for CREST awards.
Biology Highlights
In Biology, pupils have demonstrated a huge commitment to higher-level learning, exam preparation, and future career pathways. Lessons across the year groups have been filled with practical experiences and scientific exploration:
– Dissections of lungs and hearts brought anatomy to life.
– Students grew seeds, investigated how plants kill microbes, and explored the effects of antibiotics.
– Classes tackled muscle contraction and gene transmission practicals, as well as a brilliant drosophila cross-breeding experiment.
– Natural selection was investigated using chopsticks and tweezers to demonstrate adaptation in action!
– The Six Two biologists finished their A Level course with fantastic presentations on biomes, tourism sustainability, and the difference between conservation and preservation. They presented these confidently, handling challenging questions with aplomb.
– Medical practise interviews and personal statements galore but 7/7 Medical offers – wow! Including one to Cambridge and 1 to Oxford
– Six One students have been tackling classification and evolution, comparing the binomial system with immunological evidence, and culminating in an excellent Plant Transport Poster project — now on display in the Science Atrium.
– The Upper Fourth are in full revision mode, with clinics packed, past papers flying, and students fine-tuning their exam strategies. Meanwhile, Fifth pupils have launched into human transport with heart and lung dissections, complete with the usual screams, mess, and delight!
– The Lower Fifth have been exploring natural selection and genetics, where theoretical ideas became fun and relevant thanks to tweezers, chopsticks, and some fierce survival simulations.
– Our Lower School biologists have been busy with practical work around states of matter — including floating objects and melting wax.
British Biology Olympiad 2025 – Record-Breaking Success – We are incredibly proud to celebrate our students’ outstanding achievements in the 2025 British Biology Olympiad (BBO), a prestigious national competition that saw 18,533 students from 1,053 schools take part across the country. Our talented biologists achieved record-breaking results, with:
3 students ranking in the top 5%, earning Gold medals
4 students placing in the top 10%, securing Silver medals
7% of our entrants achieving Bronze medals (top 15%)
9 students receiving Highly Commended awards
These exceptional results reflect the students’ depth of knowledge, commitment, and problem-solving skills. Our three Gold medallists — Amy (Six Two), Olivia (Six Two), and Imogen (Six Two) — have qualified for the next stage of selection for the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), where they will analyse a university-level research paper and compete at an international level.
This is a huge achievement and a testament to the students’ dedication and the academic stretch offered in Biology at Benenden. We look forward to seeing what the next cohort achieves in 2026!
Chemistry Highlights
The Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad was a triumph, with both Six One and Six Two pupils achieving bronze and silver awards. The Olympiad stretched students beyond the syllabus and brought out their best through problem-solving in dynamic, real-world contexts.
Benenden’s Six Two chemists have shown tremendous dedication, attending weekly Friday morning revision clinics, mastering topics from organic reactions to transition metal chemistry. Meanwhile, Six One students have enjoyed working through acids and bases, intermolecular forces, and enthalpy changes, with highlights including stunning pH curves and precise calorimetry experiments.
A standout initiative of the Spring Term has been the Six One-Upper Fifth mentoring programme, where students work collaboratively across year groups, building confidence and fostering a real community of chemists.
The Upper Fifth chemists have been working on their deduction skills through flame tests and ion analysis, while revisiting key GCSE topics in preparation for exams. Our Fifth Form tackled the “Acids and Bases Challenge” and modelled hydrocarbons using Molymod kits, even cracking long-chain hydrocarbons and collecting ethene to decolourise bromine water — an excellent demonstration of their practical skills.
Lower Fifth students rounded off their term by designing and conducting their own investigations into rusting conditions – a great opportunity for independent scientific thinking.
Physics Highlights
This term has seen physics at Benenden taken to new heights — quite literally, during our stargazing evening, where students watched the spectacular alignment of Venus, Jupiter, and Mars in the night sky.
Physics have achieved 4 Bronze and 1 Silver award in the Physics Olympiad which is testament to the strength of the faculty.
A small group of Six One and Six Two students has also entered the CERN Beamline Competition, taking their electron beam project to the Tonbridge STEM Convention where it received praise from keynote speakers. As part of this initiative, they hosted a Mooncamp Challenge for visiting Year 6 pupils — an inspiring demonstration of leadership and outreach.
Across the school, practical physics has flourished:
– Lower Fifths explored electromagnets, wave motion (featuring an industrial-sized slinky), and forces.
– Double Award students impressed with complex electrical circuits and accurate measurement of voltage and current.
– Separate Physics students tackled forces and motion, measuring acceleration through trolley experiments and hands-on force investigations.
– Our Upper Fifth and Six Two students have completed their courses and are now deep into revision, yet still found time for experiments on electromagnetism, motors, and even cosmology – covering Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Big Bang.
– Six One students have undertaken advanced investigations into metal stretching, viscosity, and quantum physics, exploring wave-particle duality through Einstein and De Broglie’s theories. Several also competed in the Physics Olympiad, with strong performances in both the written and online rounds.
Competitions and Enrichment
Academic stretch and enrichment have continued through a wide range of competitions this term:
– In British Science Week, our students shone in the STEM Poster Competition, with topics ranging from The Fermi Paradox to Nightmares and Flameproof Materials.
– UIV students created outstanding entries for the British Science Association ‘Filtering the Air’ Competition, with designs ranging from filters and drones to robotic clean-air solutions.
– We submitted three high-quality entries to the MiSAC Competition on microbiology, encouraging advanced thinking, scientific communication, and collaborative research.
– Six One Biology students created high-level Plant Transport Posters, showcasing the cohesion-tension theory, source-sink mechanisms, and plant adaptations.
– Our student-led Forensics Club continues to thrive, with a highlight this term being the mystery of Who killed Miss Wood?, launched with a student-led video in prayers. The investigation was filled with fingerprints, DNA analysis, and brilliant scientific sleuthing — and the pupils’ creativity and confidence stole the show.
– All Lower Fifth and Fifth pupils have entered the Biology Society Challenge
– All Six One A level Biologists have entered the Biology Intermediate challenge
– All Lower Fifth and Fifth pupils have been entered for the Scientific enquiry competition in May
It has been a term full of discovery, challenge, and joy. From the Lower School to Sixth Form, our students continue to amaze us with their curiosity, commitment, and creativity. Whether dissecting, debating, designing or dreaming of CERN, the spirit of science at Benenden has never been stronger.
Categories: Benenden School School News
