We are delighted to announce that a group of Highgate Sixth Form pupils have won the Physics Unlimited Explorer Competition – a global contest for secondary school teams to solve undergraduate-level Physics problems.
Year 13 pupils Felix, Cosmo, Rosa and Joshua competed together as the Highgate team, ‘Tycho Brahe’s Spare Nose’, inspired by the renowned Danish observational astronomer. The teams are set questions inspired by groundbreaking discoveries in Physics, and must submit a research-based assignment within a two-week deadline. Together, the Highgate pupils managed to achieve a perfect score, beating nearly 50 other teams to claim first place in the world.
Highgate’s Head of Science, William Whyatt, congratulated the team on their exceptional result: “A great Physics education doesn’t give you facts to learn, but tools to wield. As the brilliant performance of our team shows, sustained use of those tools will quickly take you far beyond the curriculum, and into exciting, uncharted waters. Their work on how magnetic fields can contain particles to drive nuclear fusion is superb university-level work.”
All four pupils are currently studying Physics A level and completed the competition in July at the end of Year 12. Receiving the good news when they returned to school this week, team member Joshua said: “It was two intense weeks of full collaboration, hopping on a call every other night with the rest of team. The process of researching areas of Physics (and Maths) beyond the curriculum was extremely rewarding and refreshing. It makes me even more excited and confident about choosing Physics to study at university!”
Formally known as the Princeton University Physics Competition, Physics Unlimited was launched in 2017 to provide opportunities for young people to exhibit their problem-solving skills and to widen access to the subject, eliminating cultural barriers and building a global community. The competition attracts entries from students across the world, including the US, China and Europe.
Stuart Hindle, Physics Teacher at Highgate, added: “This competition is considered one of, if not the, most difficult in the world for pupils who haven’t yet entered higher education, as they are dealing with Physics way beyond what they would study at A level. The pupils performed exceptionally well, showing great teamwork and intellectual perseverance in mastering the advanced concepts, and we are immensely proud of their accomplishment.”
Find out more about our Sixth Form here
