Students shine at prestigious engineering tournament

TWO teams from Ripon Grammar School showcased their skills and creativity at an annual engineering competition.

Competing against six other schools in the Harrogate area, the four-strong Year 8 and Year 12 teams had no prior knowledge of the complex challenge they faced.

Using wood, drills, glue and batteries provided, students were asked to build a small remotely controlled electric vehicle capable of negotiating a narrow pipeline runway with obstacles in a set time.

Their work had to meet strict design criteria, and they also had to test their prototype, creating a design portfolio to document their innovative ideas, with five hours to complete the task.

The RGS Year 12 team won the gold award for the best prototype, while the Year 8 team were awarded the prize for best portfolio.

RGS head of design and technology, Dan Owen said: “Their hard work and ingenuity paid off. Huge congratulations to all the students involved for their dedication and outstanding achievements, they have made the department and the school incredibly proud.”

Working together at the Rotary Schools Technology Tournament event, hosted by St Aidan’s CE High School, the students showed fantastic teamwork and inventiveness, he added.

Aimed at encouraging the use and development of enterprise skills in young people, the annual Rotary competition, now in its 22nd year, sets tasks based on real-life issues to solve a practical problem with resources supplied on the day.

Results are assessed by Rotarians and industrialists, who help to steer the teams by asking pointed questions.

*Y8 team: Evelyn Heap, Molly Hall, Seth Douglas, Oscar Crellin

*Y12 Team: Maddy Cocker, Isobella Watson-Emmanuel, Lydia Fairburn, Sophie Reid