Batt School robots are best (From Witney Gazette)

Batt School robots are best

11:55am Friday 23rd March 2007 in Witney By Tim Hughes

BUDDING robot builders are celebrating after winning a county-wide competition to build the best mechanical creation.

Nine pupils from The Batt School, in Witney, saw off competition from more than 270 Oxfordshire schools to get into the finals of a competition to design and build a working robot from Lego. And they won.

The First Lego League contest was organised by Oxfordshire County Council.

The challenge saw children, aged between nine and 16, building a robot to complete a set of tasks in just two-and-a-half minutes. It tested pupils' expertise in everything from engineering and design to computer programming, and their ability to work as part of a team, solve problems, and think creatively.

The Batt School was the only school in Witney that entered the competition.

The team was guided by teacher Jonathan Spedding, who said: "The Lego competition, apart from being great fun, was an opportunity for children to stretch their mathematical, design, computer and presentation skills in a way not easily possible within the normal school curriculum. The group benefited greatly from the project, and had an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities."

* The Batt School is also celebrating, after winning the junior section of this year's Chipping Norton Music Festival, earlier this month. The school choir were praised by judges as 'outstanding'.

Headteacher, Chris Payne, said: "The competition is of a very high standard, but the Batt School has an excellent reputation for music, and has won this competition many times.

He said he was proud of both the choir and the Lego robotic team, adding: "They all did very well and are a credit to the school."