A night to remember for Scottish pupils!
These pupils had taken part in a UK-wide competition, run by educational not-for-profit Primary Engineer, where they answered the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”. Pupils aged 3-19 are tasked with interviewing an engineer before being asked to identify a problem in the world around them and drawing and annotating a solution and adding a letter explaining why an engineer should choose to build it!
All entries are read and graded by engineering professionals, with every single pupil who takes part receiving a named and graded certificate. They are graded based on the quality of the idea and the problem, large or small, that it is solving. Shortlisted entries are then sent to exclusive judging days where the invited judges, formed from leading industry and engineering professionals, select the designs to be celebrated at 25 regional Award Ceremonies.
The competition culminated on 21st May 2026 at Napier University in Edinburgh for an exciting regional public exhibition and award ceremony, where teachers, pupils, their families and industry professionals were invited to celebrate local ingenuity and create lasting memories. The shortlisted designs were displayed, and the winners and those who were highly commended were invited on stage to receive their awards, with a surprise award for the judge’s favourite at the end.
The highly commended and winning pupils were awarded trophies and framed certificates of their ideas, with 33 pupils from schools across our ‘Scotland South East’ region being celebrated.
Primary 1
- Highly Commended – Lizzie M, Bankton Primary School
- Highly Commended – Shazain A, Bankton Primary School
- Winner – Lena L, Frogston Primary School
- Winner – James D, Bankton Primary School
- Winner – Hannah O, Bankton Primary School
Primary 2
- Highly Commended – Maryam Z, Peel Primary School
- Highly Commended – Jessica M, Linlithgow Primary School
- Highly Commended – Ellianna H, Bankton Primary School
- Highly Commended – Autumn C, Bankton Primary School
- Winner – Jax M, Peel Primary School
- Winner – Alexandra M, Bankton Primary School
Primary 3
- Winner – Thomas M, Ancrum Primary School
- Winner – Kyla A, Bankton Primary School
Primary 4
- Highly Commended – Murray M, George Heriot’s School
- Highly Commended – Joni T, Pinkie St Peter’s Primary School
- Highly Commended – Emily T, Bankton Primary School
- Highly Commended – Dean B, Bankton Primary School
- Winner – Benjamin L, George Heriot’s School
- Winner – Felix M, Dirleton Primary School
- Winner – Mollie M, Bankton Primary School
Primary 5
- Highly Commended – Jessikah C, Addiewell Primary School
- Highly Commended – Callum H, Ancrum Primary School
- Winner – Eva Cassidy, Addiewell Primary School
Primary 6
- Highly Commended – Amy S, Linlithgow Primary School
- Highly Commended – Caio, Cramond Primary School
- Winner – Abbey T, Cramond Primary School
- Winner – Aurora T, Cramond Primary School
- Winner – Penelope J, Bankton Primary School
Primary 7
- Highly Commended – Millie J, Dirleton Primary School
- Highly Commended – Isatou N, St David’s RC Primary School
- Winner – Amanda O, St David’s RC Primary School
- Winner – Kacper S, St David’s RC Primary School
Secondary 3
- Winner – Horace S, Merchiston Castle School
Congratulations to all the pupils, including Primary 1 pupil, Lena, from Frogston Primary Schools, whose idea “The Laundry Umbrella” stood out for the judges and won the special ‘Judges Award’.
Every year University and Industry Partners of Primary Engineer select an idea to turn into a working Prototype from the previous year’s shortlisted designs. The ‘Wildfire Pro 3000’ prototype was unveiled at the ceremony, brought to life by Thales Glasgow, based on the idea of Primary 4 pupil, Imogen. Her idea addressed a very real challenge faced by communities around the world. Wildfires and grass fires can cause serious damage to the environment and put lives at risk which is why early detection can make a crucial difference in reducing the spread and impact of these fires. It was great to see the completed prototype unveiled at the ceremony.
Thank you to our National and Regional partners for fully-funding this competition and helping us bringing engineering into classrooms in Scotland.
Relive the event highlight by viewing the full photo album on Facebook: Primary Engineer | Facebook
The 2026/27 Competition is Officially OPEN so get involved to experience the fun! Register for full competition access and resources here: https://leadersaward.com/resource-area-registration/
Primary Engineer Public Exhibitions and Award Ceremonies continue all over the UK through to July, with thousands of pupils engineering ideas being displayed for all to see. Find out more: https://leadersaward.com/exhibitions-and-events/