Congratulations to Nottingham High School for winning the regional final of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench Competition. The team was up against stiff competition from nine other East Midlands’ schools which had qualified through county heats. In second place were a team with students from both from Hastings High School and John Cleveland College in Leicestershire. Belper School in Derbyshire took third place. The event was held on the 8th January 2011 at the University of Derby. Each team comprised 4 students (2 Year 9s, 1 Year 10 and 1 Year 11). The competition kicked off with a tough chemistry quiz and then the students moved into the university labs for the practical challenge. The event finished off with a demonstration of how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen. Other schools that took part in the regional final were Littleover Community School, Swanwick Hall School, Loughborough Grammar School, Stamford School, The King’s School Grantham, Gedling School and The Nottingham Emmanuel School. The winning team will now go on to the national final of Top of the Bench in London in April and we wish them well as they represent the East Midlands at that event. More information about Top of the Bench at http://www.rsc.org/education/schoolstudents/totb.asp