Lancashire pupil’s invention ‘Attaching Suitcase’ awarded Silver Medal in London
Anna, a Year 4 pupil at St Leonard’s CofE Primary School in Burnley, whose passion for engineering was uncovered during 2024 when her school took part in a UK-Wide STEM competition, has recently achieved a significant feat by winning a Silver medal at the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal for her innovative invention aimed at making travelling easier.
Anna’s invention, ‘Attaching Suitcase’, is a set of suitcases that securely connect together, making it easier to travel with multiple bags. It was initially submitted to the “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” annual STEM competition, ran by Primary Engineer, in 2024. UK School pupils from the ages of 3-19 are tasked with interviewing an engineer, before being asked to identify a problem in the world around them and coming up with a creative, engineered solution to that problem. All entries are read and graded by professional engineers, with every single pupil who takes part receiving a named and graded certificate. The competition then culminates in exciting regional public exhibitions and award ceremonies, where shortlisted designs are displayed, and the winners and highly commended are invited on stage to receive their awards.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), one of Primary Engineer’s partners, selected Anna’s design to develop into a working prototype during the 2024–2025 academic year, recognising its creativity and relevance to aviation. The CAA’s multidisciplinary team began the project with virtual planning sessions, including a call with Anna and her teacher to better understand her vision. They explored different technical approaches to make the design both functional and airport-compatible. The primary design feature is a magnetic connection that allows the suitcase to attach to other components, controlled by a button that turns the function on and off. The finished prototype was unveiled at Primary Engineer regional Burnley award ceremony on 18th June 2025, then submitted to the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award.
The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal, which is now in its fourth year, acts as the forerunner to the illustrious MacRobert Award, the leading prize for engineering innovation in the UK. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal is designed to celebrate the achievements of the school pupils, students and young engineers who have all worked together to create innovative and world-changing prototypes based on a school pupil’s engineering idea.
Unfortunately Anna was unable to join us but Anna’s teachers from St Leonard’s CofE Primary School attended the official award ceremony for The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal ceremony at the prestigious Drapers’ Hall in London on Monday 17th November 2025. The Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal Award Ceremony is a collaboration between Primary Engineer and The MacRobert Trust, with support from Weir and Christopher Ward.
Earlier in the year, Anna commented to say “I was so honoured and excited to see my Attaching Suitcase idea become a prototype! I felt overjoyed the moment I first saw it.”
Congratulations to all the medalists, and you can find a full list of them here: Primary Engineer Award School Pupils and Engineers in London – Primary Engineer
Read more about this prototype here: https://www.primaryengineer.com/tag/caapt25/