Grays Convent High School students travelled to the University of Greenwich to take part in the Salters’ Institute Festival of Chemistry.

Four keen Year 8 pupil - Amreet Dhillon, Lily Knights, Jenny Beadle and Chelsie Tan - were selected out of their year group to take part in the yearly competition.

After a quick introduction the girls were taken to the university’s science labs where they were given their first task, The Salters’ Challenge.

They were required to split into pairs and use various chemicals to investigate a forensic crime scene to discover who the criminal was.

Being able to use different chemicals and equipment to what they were used to in school, and being able to work in a university level lab, the girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Next was the University Challenge, this saw the girls take on Neutralisation Reaction, a chemical reaction in which a strong acid and strong base react with each other to form water and salt.

But what made this challenge that much harder was the reaction had to take place on the exact 7th chime of the Big Ben clock.

Mrs Goddard, Science Technician said: “The girls behaved impeccably throughout the day and they are a credit to the school and showed off their knowledge of science."