Teams Compete in SATRO Challenge

The SATRO Problem Solving Challenge pits teams from schools all over the country against each other, in a frenetic battle to design and build a device to overcome a tricky engineering problem.

In March, Churcher’s teams from the Third Year (Amelia, Eliza, William, Jake, Emilia and Leo), Fourth Year (Matilda, Grisha, Benji, Phoebe, Will and Eleanor) and Lower Sixth (Isaac, Sophia, Lucas, Alessandro, Tommy and Alice) headed to George Abbot School in Guildford for the regional heat.

Flickr album: SATRO Challenge, February 2024 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

The teams, competing against others from the same age group, had two hours to design and build a device to transport blocks one by one across a set distance, as quickly and accurately as possible, powered by an elastic band. Undaunted by the difficulty of the challenge, each team devised and built an impressive solution, refining, and in the case of the Sixth Form team, completely redesigning, as the judging deadline approached.

All three teams were successful. The Third Year team finished3rd in their age group, the Fourth Year team 2nd and the Lower Sixth team 1st, earning them the right to compete in the Grand Final.

On the day of the final, which took place at the prestigious Royal Holloway University campus, the intrepid Lower Sixth team were treated to a guided tour beforehand, taking in the beautiful campus buildings.

The event itself challenged the students to lift a small selection of LEGO bricks from the floor to desk height using everyday materials. They needed to be carried in a small and stable drop-box and winched up towards their goal. Our team achieved a respectful 5th place in the competition competing against a number of schools in their age range and are already keen to experience the preliminary rounds again in the Autumn.

Flickr album: SATRO Challenge Finals March 2024 | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

All the groups found this year's challenge to be a rewarding and exciting experience and have shown their potential as engineers with a very bright future.