IT Challenge for schools at Coventry University

School pupils and sixth form students from Coventry and the surrounding areas recently put their computing skills to the test in the Challenge IT Competition at Coventry University. 

The Coventry branch of the British Computing Society (BCS) The Chartered Institute for IT, held the final of its Challenge IT competition at the University’s Engineering, Environment and Computing building.

The final saw school pupils from years 7-13 create a host of innovative products such as mobile phone apps, robots, digital animations and control devices, which were on display at the competition for the judges to test, and choose the winner.

Some entries from these engineers of the future included a robot whose movement was controlled by the use of popular children’s game ‘Minecraft’ and a mobile phone app, which allows users to scan food items in the fridge and then suggests suitable recipes. 

Judges were given an hour to speak with competitors about their ideas and inventions, before a winner was chosen for each category. During the vote counting the competitors had a chance to select their favourite entries for two extra awards.

Teachers said students worked tirelessly over a five-month period, mainly during lunch breaks and after school clubs, to design, programme and develop their ideas

The event had some special visitors, including the Lord Mayor of Coventry Michael Hammon, the University’s Vice-Chancellor John Latham, BCS Academy’s Iain Phillips and Free Radio presenter Andy Goulding.

The overall winner of the final, which was sponsored by BCS, was ‘Ebony and Ivory’ from, King Henry VIII School, a “Piano Kiosk” able to produce interactive information about the school and its courses with the touch of a piano key.

Other awards included:

Best App design: (Sponsored by the awarding body for GCSEs and A Levels, OCR): Team Infinite of Bishop Ullathorne Shool for their entry “Need to Eat/My Cook/ Recipe Fast.”

Web Development and Digital Animation (Sponsored by Coventry University): ‘The Safety King’s from South Charnwood School for their road safety development project.

Robotics and Control (Sponsored by The Institution of Engineering and Technology): ‘Auxillorum’ from Loughborough Grammar School for their sensitive floor tiles for the less able.

Best Dressed Stand (Voted for by entrants):  Team Velz of Saint Martin’s School for their Crazy Fair Ground ride, made from Lego.

WOW! award (Voted for by entrants) (Sponsored by PTS Consulting): ‘Robotians’ from King Henry VIII School for their robot that fired rubber balls.

For more information contact Rhys Lewis, PR Intern, Rhys.lewis@coventry.ac.uk

Further information about the challenge IT final can be found here.

Notes to editor

Entrants to the competition were as follows: 

Bishop Ullathorne

Saint Martin’s, Solihull

Nicholas Chamberlaine, Nuneaton

King Henry VIII, Coventry

South Charnwoord School, Leicestershire

Loughborough Grammar School

Loughborough High School