Sandra Clinton has discovered a winning formula for teaching chemistry.

The tutor, who does an impression of TV presenter Chris Tarrant to help her students remember compounds and elements, has won a top award for her unorthodox methods.

Ms Clinton, who teaches at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, Hove, scooped the Salters' Prize, winning £3,000 - half for the school and half for herself.

The 28-year-old makes no apology for using gimmicks, such as a chemistry version of the TV show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? to help students learn.

She said: "We are working to high academic standards but there is no reason why learning chemistry can't be fun too."

Ms Clinton has had students running around the playground, pretending to be particles, and introduced music to help them learn about atoms.

She said: "In many ways I am lucky because these 16 to 19-year-olds have chosen to do chemistry but it is an academic course and some of them struggle.

"Entertaining them helps them retain the information."

Ms Clinton's unusual methods impressed judges from The Salters' Institute, which runs an annual award for chemistry teaching.

They visited her in her classroom and she was interviewed by a panel of academics.

Ms Clinton said: "I think they were interested in my approach to the subject and making it relevant to the students. It's all geared to helping them understand it on a practical level, rather than just reading text books."

Ms Clinton joined the college in September last year from St Wilfrid's School, Crawley.

Her winnings will be spent on new equipment for the chemistry department and go towards a laptop computer for herself.

She will receive her award from MP Sir Nicholas Lyell at the Salters' Hall in London on December 5.