WITH the competition dissolving around them, pupils from Bury Grammar School are one step away from clinching a place in the final of a national science competition.

They are among a batch of young scientists vying for a place at the Science Challenge Finals in London on July 10.

Bury Grammar Girls were one of only 18 secondary schools to make stage two of the competition run by the Association of Science Education (ASE).

The school progressed to the northern final after carrying out a science investigation entitled 'fast dissolving'.

For this experiment, the children performed a standard dissolving test and then applied the standard method to six differing sugar samples to discover the quickest.

They will now be hoping to secure a place in the national final, in the presence of a TV celebrity, when they compete in the Science Challenge Funday in Leeds on July 1 and 2.

Teacher Mrs Sally Fielden said: "The competition makes science more appealing and challenging to the children and with the chance of appearing on television it's exciting. It's really brought science alive!"

The Leeds Funday will see pupils perform a drama about their investigation, take part in another mini science investigation and participate in a quiz.