TWO Skipton schoolboys have enjoyed national success in Physics Olympics competitions.

Two students from Ermysted's Grammar School achieved some of the very highest grades possible in the British Physics Olympiad competitions, which are designed to challenge and reward the best physicists in British schools.

Year 13 pupil Joseph Krol started round one of the Physics Olympiad competition in November, competing with more than 1,600 students.

Since then, he has excelled in both rounds two and three of the competition and is currently ranked as one of the top five in the UK.

As a result, he has been picked to represent the UK team in the International Physics Olympiad to be held in July in Zurich, Switzerland, where he will compete against 400 students from 100 different countries.

Another Ermysted's student, Julian Roche, who is in Year 12, is looking to follow in Joseph’s footsteps.

He sat British Physics Olympiad's AS Challenge in March, competing with 2,300 students and achieved an outstanding mark which also places him in the top five in the country.

"I am incredibly proud of what both Joseph and Julian have achieved," said Devinder Gill, the two boys' physics teacher. "They are some of the very best students in the country, which is a heck of an achievement."

"We have some very bright students here at Ermysted’s and the Olympiad competitions offer them the opportunity to challenge themselves with some very complex physics problems.

"Every year we have students who score very highly, but this year has been particularly impressive with Joseph rewarded with a position on the UK Olympiad team."

Both students have been invited to pick up awards later this month at a ceremony to be held at the Royal Society in London.