A team of six Perse students will represent The Perse at the International Chemistry Tournament in Hoengseong, South Korea this August, after finishing in the top two nationally at the UK Chemistry Tournament in March.

Pupils Rachel, Saisha, Stephen, Sophie, Chenning and Robert will travel to Korea under the guidance of Teacher of Chemistry, Ben Merison. The group will be spending time in Seoul before the tournament itself, which runs from 15 to 19 August. Stephen joins the team as a late addition, stepping in for Roland, who was part of the original UK squad.

A special mention (and congratulations!) to Rachel who was the only student at the UK Chemistry Tournament, across all competing teams, to be awarded an A* grade by the judges for her presentation.

Unlike the Chemistry Olympiad, the International Chemistry Tournament is built around open-ended problems rather than questions with a single correct answer. Task authors sometimes don’t know the right solution themselves, or whether one even exists. Teams of four to six students research the problems in advance, then defend their solutions in front of judges and opposing teams.

Each round sees students take on one of four roles. The Reporter presents and defends a solution. The Opponent challenges it, identifying weaknesses and debating the reasoning with the Reporter. The Reviewer assesses how well both the Reporter and Opponent performed. In larger sections, an Observer can put questions to anyone in the room.

It’s as much a test of teamwork, strategy and communication as it is of chemistry.

Here is a visual guide to the Round:

Ben Merison, Teacher of Chemistry, said: “I am incredibly proud of our students for qualifying for the International Chemistry Tournament. This is a fantastic achievement and a wonderful opportunity for them to test themselves, collaborate with others, and represent the School on an international stage.”

“I wish them the very best of luck for the competition – they should be very proud of what they have already achieved.”

Published 7 July 2026