Teams from Orpington and Ilford take second and third place.
National engineering competition kicks off at the University of East London
12 May 2011: The University of East London hosted 50 budding young engineers yesterday for the London regional heat of the Create Sport Challenge – a national schools competition that has seen teams of 12 to 13 year old students from across the UK plan, design and construct a model for a new sports venue in their region.
Fortismere team
A team from Fortismere School in Haringey were crowned regional champions after impressing the judges with their innovative designs and model of a stadium called ‘Wing’. A team from Newstead Wood School in Orpington came second and Ilford Ursuline School came third. The winning team will now go forward to the grand final on 27 June at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London to compete for the national trophy.
Newstead Wood team
Ilford Ursuline team
All of the teams, from schools in Haringey, Walthamstow, Ilford, Orpington and Old Harlow, presented their models and designs to a judging panel that included engineers behind the London 2012 Velodrome and experts in sustainability in the built environment. The judges were looking for an inspiring and iconic structure that fulfilled a community need and considered the impact of their venue on the athletes’ performance and the audience’s enjoyment. They were challenged to think about the project from an engineering perspective, taking into account real technical, infrastructure and sustainability constraints and concerns such as planning, transport links, flooding, drainage and energy use and generation.
Ruth Hopgood-Oates, chair of the judging panel, said:
“The designs and models the young engineers have created today show an impressive level of technical skill and team work. I was also impressed with their appreciation of the challenges of constructing a community sports venue. I congratulate all of the teams involved for their inspiring work and wish the winners all the best at the national final in London.”
Members of judging panel
Miranda Housden, Regional Director, ICE London said:
“Studying for a degree in engineering requires a school level education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, so engaging pre-19s is vital to ensuring new talent is attracted into the profession. Events such as this, delivered by the Institution of Civil Engineers in partnership with Arup and EDT, inspire young people to make a difference in the world through becoming an engineer.”
Participating schools:
- Fortismere School, Haringey
- Frederick Bremer School, Walthamstow
- Ilford Ursuline High School, Ilford
- Newstead Wood School, Orpington
- St Nicholas School, Old Harlow, Essex
ENDS
Photos available upon request.
Media Contact:
Francesca King, Institution of Civil Engineers, francesca.king@ice.org.uk, +44 (0)20 7665 2360
Notes to editors:
• The Create Sport Challenge is a free national competition allowing 12/13 year old students to work in teams with a built environment professional to complete a challenging project that introduces real-world problems to the classroom. The best teams will present their work at a grand final in June 2011 at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London. Prizes include £1,000 for the school of the winning team, a school visit by an athlete and a trip to a major sporting venue. Further details from www.createsport.org.uk
• The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) was founded in 1818 to ensure professionalism in civil engineering. It represents 80,000 qualified and student civil engineers in the UK and across the globe. The ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy and UK exports.
• Arup is the creative force behind many of the world’s prominent building, infrastructure and industrial projects. We offer a broad range of professional services that combine to make a positive difference to our clients and the communities in which we work.
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