Today a group of Year 8 and Year 9 pupils took part in Road to RIAT: Blast Off!, an exciting national STEM challenge linked to the world‑famous Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT). The event is designed to ignite curiosity, develop problem‑solving skills, and encourage young people to imagine the future of aviation, engineering, and technology.

What Is RIAT: Blast Off?

RIAT: Blast Off! is a creative engineering challenge where students work in teams to design innovative solutions inspired by real‑world aerospace problems. The competition celebrates imagination, teamwork, and resilience—reminding pupils that:

“Every breakthrough becomes a stepping stone for the next generation.”

The challenge encourages students to think boldly about what comes next in science and engineering, and our pupils certainly rose to the occasion.

How Our Pupils Engaged

Throughout the event, our Year 8 and 9 students demonstrated outstanding teamwork, creativity, and determination. They explored engineering concepts, tested ideas, refined their designs, and presented their solutions with confidence. Staff were incredibly impressed by their enthusiasm and the maturity they showed when tackling complex STEM tasks.

Their ability to collaborate, communicate, and think critically made the day a huge success. It was fantastic to see pupils pushing themselves, supporting one another, and embracing the challenge with real excitement.

What Could Be Won?

The competition offers some incredible prizes for both regional and national winners:

National Winner Prize Package

  • £100 for the school
  • Two LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime sets (worth over £600)
  • Tickets for six students and accompanying adults to attend the Royal International Air Tattoo

Regional Winner Prize Package

  • £100 for the school
  • Tickets for six students and accompanying adults to attend RIAT

All winning schools will be invited to attend the spectacular Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world’s largest military air shows—an unforgettable experience for any young aviation enthusiast.

A Proud Moment for Our School

We are incredibly proud of how well our pupils represented the school. Their engagement, creativity, and teamwork truly embodied the spirit of the competition. Events like RIAT: Blast Off! help our students see themselves as the innovators and engineers of tomorrow—and they certainly proved they are ready for the challenge.

We are especially delighted to celebrate our winning team, and we hope they will continue to progress successfully through the competition as the next stages unfold.

A huge thank you to The Smallpeice Trust for delivering such an inspiring and engaging event today. Their support and expertise gave our pupils a fantastic opportunity to explore STEM in a hands‑on, exciting way.