17 July 2002

TOP CLASS DESIGNS IN UK CONTEST

TALENTED pupils from a Boldon school are celebrating after combining their innovative skills to get top marks in a national technology competition.

The five youngsters from Boldon School, New Road, Boldon Colliery, were invited down to Warwick University after judges were so impressed with their creative designs.
Under the guidance of technology teachers Ian Wood and Sandra Michjew, the youngsters entered a national technology enhancement competition.
They combined their skills, with the girls creating designs for pieces of jewellery, and the boys producing a storage box for the items.
A panel of experts at Warwick University was so bowled over with the creations that they asked the youngsters to travel down for a face-to-face interview.
Now, out of hundreds of entries, the group of 16-year-olds have been awarded third prize in the prestigious event.
Mr Wood said: "After hearing about the competition we decided to enter some of the pupils' GCSE coursework.
"They had been working hard on these designs and we thought they would be ideal for the competition - but I don't think any of them expected to do so well.
"Photographs of the designs were sent down to the judges at Warwick University and they must have liked them because the next thing we knew they had asked to see the group in person.
"When they told them they had won third prize, the group was stunned to say the least."
The youngsters, who are all waiting for their GCSE exam results, were presented with a computer-aided design machine which helps to create three-dimensional shapes.
After the competition, the school received a framed certificate, praising the youngsters.