Pupils use Lego robots to solve engineering tasks

Hundreds of Cornish schoolchildren have been combining coding and Lego building skills to solve engineering problems in a competition.

Some 450 primary school pupils were challenged to use Lego robots they had built to complete a series of missions on a game table at the Lego League Regional Final.

The theme for this year's competition was archaeology and the event was held at the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base in Helston.

Teams from Bishop Bronescombe School in St Austell, Porthleven School and Camborne's Trevithick Learning Academy claimed the top three places and will head to Harrogate in April for the next stage of the contest.

Organisers said the competition aimed to develop children's science, technology engineering and maths (STEM) skills and give them an insight into what engineering can do.

Having been sent competition kits in September, the pupils had three minutes to get their robot to complete a series of challenges.

Felicity Blight, school secretary at Porthleven School, said: "It really builds on their STEM learning, they get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork."

She said the school's competitors were not all from the same class and were building confidence by working together.

Darite School, near Liskeard, sent a team of six to the competition.

One of the pupils, Elowyn, said: "It's a great experience for kids our age because you're learning and still having fun."

George Slater, education projects manager for Cornwall Council – one of the event's organisers – said the competition taught pupils many skills, including how to support each other.

Slater said: "The robots are not perfect, they will go wrong and they do go wrong, but the children get through that and persevere."

Cdr Matt Turfrey from RNAS Culdrose said while the base was focused on Middle East developments – with a Merlin helicopter deployed to Cyprus – it was "fully committed" to educational events.

"It's really great to see the potential naval engineers of the future having loads of fun, getting engaged in this sort of activity and doing some really impressive coding," he said.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.