King’s Ely Senior students won a haul of awards in a national biology challenge.

Almost 8,000 students – all of whom are predicated A* or A grades – took part in this year’s British Biology Olympiad, including King’s Ely’s A Level Biology students.

Elizabeth Hall, 17, and James Graver, 18, both won bronze awards, placing them in the top 35 per cent nationally.

Emily Moore, 17, was highly commended.

The Olympiad challenges students with an interest in Biology to show off their talents.

It is hoped that competing in the Olympiad will encourage students already interested in Biology to continue their study beyond A Level.

Year 9 and 10 students at King’s Ely also competed in the Biology challenge this year.

Questions are based on the school curriculum but also reward students whose knowledge of the subject has been increased by reading books and magazines, watching natural history programmes and taking notice of the news media for items of biological interest.

More than 40,000 students entered the challenge this year.

Sam Barber, 14, and Audrey Raynes, 15, both won gold certificates, twelve King’s Ely students won Silver awards, and a further eighteen students gained bronze.