BUDDING scientists from a York school have won places in the finals of a national competition.

Bootham School's team of chemists have reached the final round of Top Of The Bench, a competition organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry which takes place at the Science Museum in April.

The team boasting the winning formula include Year nine pupils Will Taylor and Bryan Woo, Year 10's Elliott Bussell and Oliver Meacock, Year 11.

Mark Robinson, head of chemistry at Bootham, said: "The competition tested a wider appreciation of the subject than merely learning the national curriculum, covering such things as the history of chemistry, origins of chemical terms and the ability to apply understanding.

"Our students performed so well because of their enjoyment of learning and their broad understanding, and because we are not constrained by the stultifying shackles of the national curriculum and the imperative of meeting narrow targets."

Bootham School, which boasts the oldest science society of any school in the country has a long history of excellence in science.

The Quaker School's discovery-based curriculum, back in the 19th century, made it one of the forerunners of science teaching.

The school's historic observatory is still in regular use today and featured in last autumn's national Festival Of Science.