Rotary Club of Bishop’s Stortford Youth Technology Competition featuring teams from Birchwood, Bishop’s Stortford College, Hockerill and Leventhorpe

Birchwood High School completed a clean sweep of victories when it hosted the Rotary Club of Bishop’s Stortford’s annual Youth Technology competition.

Teams at each of Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 from four schools took part: Bishop’s Stortford College, Hockerill Anglo European College and Leventhorpe School as well as the host secondary in Parsonage Lane.

Their task was to design and build a dragster using a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) construction kit, rubber bands and metal washers!

Their cars were scored on distance covered in a straight line and speed, which was measured by a controlled stopwatch remotely triggered as the dragsters broke two beams.

Another significant part of the assessment was their project portfolio containing all design work and other information.

Dragsters from the youngest age group had to cover at least 4 metres (13ft 1.5in) and the oldest group at least 8m (26ft 3in) in a straight line.

The judges – Colin Butler, Richard Roscoe, Duncan Forbes and chief judge John Barfoot – were looking not only for the dragsters’ speed but also evidence of teamwork in the planning, how well the car was constructed and the quality of the portfolio.

A spokeswoman for the Rotary club said: “There was much excitement at the end of the two-hour construction time as the final iteration of their model dragsters were put through their paces in the school hall.

“The judge for the KS3 teams heaped praise on all four teams before announcing that Birchwood had won the group by a very tight margin.

“The winning junior dragster was then demonstrated in front of the large audience of students, staff, judges and some parents to great applause.

“Birchwood also won the KS4 group and again demonstrated their successful dragster. Then the senior KS5 competition was also won by Birchwood, completing a clean sweep for the home teams, the first in anyone’s memory.”

The event took place at Birchwood by kind permission of the principal, Sam Griffin, on Tuesday November 12. It was organised on site by Birchwood’s Nicole Montgomery.

The winners received their certificates and a prize from Rotary club president Richard Hartley.

For more information on the Rotary Club of Bishop’s Stortford, visit www.bsrotary.org.