Young scientists show their skills as they compete for the Barton Shield
Students from three schools put their scientific knowledge to the test as they took part in the Barton Science Competition on Thursday (24 February).
Teams made up of four students from Years 9 and 10 faced challenges and problem-solving exercises in Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Tasks included analysing garlic powder, replicating graphs of motion by moving in front of a sensor and finding out the concentration of sugar in carrots.
After three keenly contested sessions, in which pupils impressed the judges with their all-round analytical and problem-solving skills, The Judd School emerged as the winner, with its team receiving the highly prized Barton Shield. Tonbridge was runner-up, with Weald of Kent just two points behind in third.
Ishmael Roslan, Head of Chemistry at Tonbridge, said: “I was delighted to see the students being so enthused by the tasks they were set during the competition. The way they rose to the challenge and developed their collaborative skills, to achieve more together, was impressive. All schools involved can be proud of the efforts of these scientists of the future.”
The competition took place in Tonbridge’s Barton Science Centre, a state-of-the art facility for learning and discovery which was officially opened in 2019 by two NASA astronauts. The centre is named after former Tonbridge pupil, Nobel Prize winner and distinguished organic chemist Sir Derek Barton.
The Barton Science Competition has also been running since 2019.
