PUPILS at Llyngynidr Primary School took part in an exciting challenge during which they learnt a little bit about car engineering and Formula One.
The challenge sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover is a national initiative for children in primary schools across the United Kingdom. The Llyngynidyr pupils, who named themselves Team Bolt, participated in the Crickhowell High School cluster competition, winning both the fastest reaction time and the faster car category.
This earned them a place in the Welsh finals in Swansea, where they placed third, meaning they now go on to take part in the UK finals where they will be one of 35 teams. The aim of the challenge is to give pupils an understanding of how design and engineering influence speed. The pupils had to create a car which is fired along a 20-metre track by a compressed air canister.
The four Year 6 pupils created a team that included a team manager, manufacturing engineer, design engineer and graphic designer. In the competition they were also judged on a presentation of their project and a written portfolio by a panel of experts from Jaguar Land Rover.
Mark Wemyss-Holden, national project manager for the Jaguar Primary School Challenge, said: “Bringing education to life with practical application of science and engineering, as well as students working closely as a team and the fun of racing a car makes the Jaguar Primary Schools Challenge one of best competitions for this age group. The students are totally engaged, enjoy learning and gain so many skills, both academic and social, by competing and sharing their experiences.”