After a demanding yet rewarding season, Chiltern Academy’s F1 in Schools team achieved an impressive milestone by qualifying for the national finals.
Their journey placed them among the top 64 teams nationwide, selected from over 1,000 entrants.
The F1 in Schools competition is part of a global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) competition where students aged nine to 19 design, build, and race miniature Formula 1-style cars.
The finals took place at the Magna Science Centre near Sheffield, where students competed for a coveted spot at the F1 in Schools World Finals and a fully funded engineering degree at Aston University.
Sh1ft3r, Chiltern Academy’s team, dedicated two months to refining their portfolio and model car. Students thoughtfully incorporated valuable feedback received during the regional competition, resulting in work commended for its exceptional quality.
Ian Douglas, Headteacher of Chiltern Academy part of Chiltern Learning Trust, expressed his pride in Sh1f3r’s achievement, saying: “At Chiltern Academy, our motto is ‘Inspiring minds and Building Futures’, a principle which has been embodied by our students who reached the F1 national finals.
“We’re incredibly proud of their determination, resilience, and aspiration, which brought the student team to this stage. The stakes were high and the atmosphere tense, but our students represented the school with pride, ultimately achieving a brilliant 14th place overall.”
The first day of the competition involved rigorous assessments of the team’s design, engineering, and marketing strategies, followed by an initial race that placed them 30th.
However, Sh1ft3r demonstrated resilience on day two, climbing to 8th place in the second race and finishing in a commendable 14th position overall. Judges praised the team’s strong design and marketing skills.
Sponsors Daisy from Supporting Education Group, and Paul Davis from Taudevin Engineering supported students’ efforts and provided crucial guidance in marketing and design, equipping the team with essential skills as they prepared for the finals.
Ian added: “Throughout the competition, students displayed outstanding behaviour and a positive attitude, eagerly gaining valuable insights and embracing every learning opportunity. We’re so pleased that our students can take part in initiatives like this, which encourage their curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity.
“We’d like to extend our gratitude to all the staff, parents, and sponsors who made this possible, including Daisy from Supporting Education Group and Paul Davis from Taudevin Engineering. Special acknowledgement must also go to Shahid from 3X Sports for their generous financial support, which covered accommodation and food expenses.”