Problem Solving Challenge

Royal Russell were double winners this year in the Croydon Schools Problem Solving Challenge

On Tuesday 28th February  Royal Russell entered three teams in the Science and Technology Problem Solving Challenge Competition held at St Philomenas School in Carshalton organised by Surrey SATRO.

The three teams were competing against 12 other schools in the Croydon area and Their task was to build the tallest possible light house out of the materials supplied - paper, corriflute. plastic straws etc. The tower had to support a torch bulb and batteries that could be switched on from the base. The Y10/11 team produced the highest structure of the event and the highest points total of all the rounds of the competition.

The winning Y12/13 team was Darrel Shand, Gareth Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Ben Edwards, Chris Knight and James Dawes.
The Y10/11 team was Aaron Barber, Lionel Leung, Oliver Fernandez, Antoinette Macgregor, Jack Stanley and Jordan Wathen (joined in the final by Neville Wood and James Bruce)

The Y9 team were very close to winning with a well designed tower but unfortunately the light failed to come on when the judges were looking. As soon as they left the light decided to work. This team were Daniel Foulkes-Jones, Angus McPhail, Robert Marcuccilli, Rosie Billington and Charlotte Jennings

The intermediate and senior teams then went on to the county final which was held in March in the impressive BP building at Sunbury. This time the teams were competing against schools from the whole of Surrey. The task was to produce a device which moved towards a barrier and then hurled a tea bag as far as it would go.  The senior team did well with a cleverly designed device and although they didn’t win they put in an excellent performance. The intermediate team performed well too.

Paul Endersby