Year 12 students Sophie and Ethan have been crowned winners of the VEX Robotics Competition held at Silverstone UTC, as part of an inspiring STEM enrichment event organised by Mission 44 and delivered in partnership with the Baker Dearing Educational Trust and VEX Robotics.
The event took place at Silverstone Race Circuit on the eve of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, bringing together students from University Technical Colleges (UTCs) across the country for a day of robotics, coding, engineering and industry engagement.
Eight UTC teams and 36 students participated in the competition, representing UTC Reading, Silverstone UTC, WMG Academy Trust Coventry, Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire, Crewe Engineering & Design UTC, and our other Activate Learning Education Trust (ALET) UTC’s; UTC Swindon and UTC Heathrow.
Throughout the competition, teams tested their robot designs in a series of fast-paced VEX Robotics challenges, requiring strategy, teamwork, problem-solving and technical expertise. Students also discussed their design processes, coding approaches and collaborative working with judges.
Our Year 12 team, Sophie and Ethan, impressed throughout the day, demonstrating exceptional engineering skills, resilience and teamwork to secure victory and bring home the championship title.
Headteacher, Jennie Thomson, said:
“Congratulations to Sophie and Ethan on this fantastic achievement. Winning the VEX Robotics Competition is a testament to their hard work, technical skill and teamwork. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented UTC Reading and demonstrated the creativity and problem-solving abilities that are at the heart of everything we do.”
Alongside the robotics competition, students heard from Mission 44 CEO Jason Arthur, who delivered an inspiring keynote speech. They also took part in a hands-on workshop using Arduino Q boards, exploring how data, sensors and AI technologies are used in real-world applications, including those found in Formula 1.
Students were also given an exclusive paddock tour at Silverstone, experiencing first-hand the preparations taking place ahead of the British Grand Prix weekend.
The event provided a unique opportunity for students to apply their STEM knowledge in a practical environment while connecting with industry professionals and fellow young engineers from across the UTC network.
Congratulates to Sophie and Ethan on their fantastic achievement and thanks Mission 44, Silverstone UTC, the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, VEX Robotics and all partner organisations involved in delivering such an outstanding learning experience.
