Westbrook Hay wins Haileybury Technology Challenge

A team of three Year 6 pupils from Westbrook Hay Prep School has won the 2012 Haileybury Technology Challenge.

Themed on the Olympics, the challenges faced by the six teams of pupils who participated were specially created by our Technology Department staff to test pupils’ analytical aptitude and innovative skills.

The first challenge involved each team member designing both sides of a new Olympic medal which was then transferred onto CAD/CAM by the children. Once designs were finalised, each team selected the best of their designs to be laser cut in wood, creating eco-friendly medals.

The next challenge was a team relay, with the goal being to move different sized balls from one receptacle to another in rotation, completing a circuit with the balls back in their original places. Each member of the team had to create a means of moving the ball using completely different materials, one using K’nex, one using paper, card, elastic bands and wire and the third using serrated lolly sticks, dowel and wire. The children worked intensely in creating their designs before testing their implements in a team relay race outside the Technology Centre in the glorious, and unexpected, sunshine.

The final activity involved creating rockets that were launched sky high by a compressor, causing great hilarity at the way that various rockets took off and flew – or didn’t! Every team showed that they could work well together and each team excelled in certain areas, but the pupils from Westbrook Hay proved to be outstanding in all areas and were worthy winners of this year’s prizes and a £200 cheque for the school.