The robots are coming!

Nearly 100 staff and students from across Staffordshire and Derbyshire gathered together at St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy for a scrimmage in the FIRST Tech Challenge on Tuesday 5th December.

The FIRST Tech Challenge is a robotics competition for students to compete head to head by designing, building and programming a robot to compete in an alliance against other teams.

The 11 teams, from eight schools, took part in the event, which saw them build their robots and then use the test field – think Robot Wars – to iron out any issues with functionality.

It also provided students with a chance to network and make new friends.

The teams ages range from 11 to 18 and are a mix of boys and girls. They all help each other out in these initial stages as they prepare for the main competition next March.

The team from St Margaret Ward will be hoping to win big in next year’s competition which is also being hosted at the school. The VNATION team are aiming to build on their successes in 2023 when they won the FIRST Tech Challenge Design Award and bring home the coveted Inspire Award.

Organiser for St Margaret Ward, Rebecca Fallows, said; “It’s great to see the students all working together. They’re all helping each other out and don’t even need their teachers!”

Pictured are our VNATION team. Other schools taking part were St John Fisher Catholic College, Derby Grammar School, Newcastle Academy, Oldfields Hall Middle School, Thomas Alleynes High School, Woodhouse Academy and CREATED Academy – see our gallery for more photos from the day.