Carsington pupils win Rolls Royce challenge

Held on June 15 and 16 in Ripley, the challenge posed to would-be young engineers was to design and construct a crane that could lift a kilogram in weight and then rotate 90 degrees.

The Rolls-Royce company initiative is designed to encourage children’s interests in science and engineering through hands-on learning.

Carsington and Hopton’s winning team, aged between 9 and 10, beat off stiff competition from 19 other participating schools to win first prize for the most economical crane and second prize overall – plus a £50 donation towards their school.

Noah Berry-Frith, chief engineer and marketing manager for the team, said: “It was a really fun day. The best bit was actually making and controlling the crane, which we called Alan.”

Other team members included Alice Johnson, head of finance management, Ruben Lambeth, design engineer, and Freya Hodgkinson, who led procurement.

The team’s teacher, Alex Scanlon said: “The children are thrilled to have done so well. A hands-on challenge like this is a great way to introduce children to science and engineering, and it was great for them to have the opportunity to apply the skills they learn in science and technology in a practical challenge. They learned a great deal about working as a team through carrying out real world roles and delivering an on-spec product to a deadline. We are all very proud of our budding engineers, taking home prizes and money for the school is an extra bonus!”