Friday saw the annual Design and Technology Rotary tournament competition take place at Rockcliffe Community Centre. Schools from Cumbria and the Eden Valley were asked to send their top Design and Technology students to compete at three levels: Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced.

The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that has set out to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs.

Students were asked to imagine they were members of a relief team that is travelling cross-country, and the way ahead is blocked by a deep river which is infested with crocodiles. They needed to get supplies across a river via a suspended cable without dismantling it and use this to transfer a rescue package to a number of displaced citizens. Armed only with a stick and two safety pins, our students set to work creating a range of automated vehicles that could deliver the goods with pin point accuracy and return back to base using a remote control fashioned only from a length of dowel and two screws.

With over fourty teams involved, competition was intense and the judges were very impressed with the work of our students - out of the 10 prizes on offer Austin Friars carried away 7 trophies.

At Foundation level Austin Friars stood on all three podiums, at intermediate level we came away with first prize, at advanced level we were pipped to the post by one point but the highlight of the day saw Mr Ord, Miss Stockdale and Mr Parker return home as the teacher’s winners for the second year running.

Mr Parker, Austin Friars STEM co-ordinator said, “What an incredible day, 7 trophies, I’m gobsmacked! This has been the highlight of my year, seeing so many budding young engineers, working in teams to problem solve real life situations. I think the future of engineering is looking great.”