Students in Year 7 have been taking part in an exciting STEM event in school thanks to a visit from The Smallpiece Trust.

Founded in 1966 by Engineer, Dr Cosby Smallpiece, who invented the Smallpiece Lathe, the Trust gives young people the opportunity to bring their ideas to life through Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

Working in teams, students were challenged to design and build a solar powered kit car, which could be charged by a desktop lamp. The aim of the ensuing competition was to charge the car with just enough power to get as near as possible to a target on the floor - too much charge and the car would travel past the target, too little and it would fall short. Teams worked together to calculate the amount of charge needed following a number of runs, making adjustments each time to bring them closer.

The competition took place in front of an enthusiastic audience and it was interesting to see that the team with the most teething troubles initially, went on to win the challenge overall as a result of their excellent problem solving and team working skills.