Pupil power put in motion

Reporter: Karen Doherty
Date published: 12 July 2017


A VIKING long boat, Jack and the Beanstalk and pizza slices were among the inspiration when pupils designed their own mini-vehicles for Oldham's Primary Engineer event.

A total of 23 teams from nine schools competed in the annual event, the culmination of a programme which sees children work with professional engineers to design and build a model car.

The result was an array of vehicles of different shapes and sizes which crucially had to perform certain tasks.

Teams were also quizzed about their designs by the judges in the final at Oldham Sixth Form College. The competition was part of the national Primary Engineer Programme which promotes science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) topics to youngsters.

Ocean Blue from St Thomas' Leesfield CE Primary won the apprentice level 1 competition. Delph Primary were champions in the apprentice level 2 event and Red Racers from St Anne's CE Primary in Royton took the engineer title.

Awards for the best communication went to Fox Team (apprentice) from St Margaret's CE Primary in Hollinwood and Private Jet (engineer) at St Hilda's CE Primary, Coldhurst.

The apprentice team from St Hilda's also won the best theme for their Jack and the Beanstalk design and the smiley truck by St Agnes' CE Primary at engineer level.