Winners of The Gazette’s Young Engineers 2019 competition crowned

Judges were impressed by the quality of the pupils work

The team of four pupils from Highfield Leadership Academy dug deep to take the £10,000 prize on offer at this year’s event.

They were among the teams from 17 schools taking part at Blackpool and The Fylde College’s Advanced Technology Centre on Friday.

The competition, organised by the College and sponsored by Cuadrilla Resources, saw pupils aged 13 to 15 challenged to design and construct a syringe pump operating digger and use it to move rice from one container to another.

The team that shifted the most rice was named the winner.

Highfield took an early lead with a strong first round score and held on to win despite impressives responses from Hodgson Academy, Baines School and Montgomery Academy.

Careers leader John Hooper said: “I am very proud of the students, who have done so well. They had broad smiles on their faces throughout the day – they came to enjoy themselves, with no idea they would actually be the winners.”

Other participating schools included St Mary’s Catholic Academy, Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Garstang Community Academy, Rossall School, UnityAcademy, Millfield Science and Performing Arts College, Lytham St Annes Technology and Performing Arts College, Aspire Academy, Fleetwood High School,South Shore Academy, St. Annes College Grammar School, St Bede’s Catholic High School and St George’s School.

Jill Overland and Nigel Brown with winners Mia Beilby-Duckett, Amalia Golam, Lee Black and Blue Ayres from Highfield

Nigel Brown, Blackpool and the Fylde College’s director for students, said: “This annual project gives young people the chance to demonstrate their creative thinking and problem solving skills.

“We were incredibly impressed with the level of imagination and tenacity shown and want to congratulate all who took part in this very difficult challenge.”

Cuadrilla’s director of finance and business services, Jill Overland, presented thecheque for £10,000 to the team from Highfield Leadership Academy and said: “It is so rewarding to see the students gaining many skills throughout the competition which they can take out of the classroom and use in the real world.

“One of the reasons why we have had to set such an exacting challenge is because every year the standard gets better and once again, the students have met the task head on.”