Scottish Pupil’s engineering invention bridges the gap for those with learning difficulties
Sophia from Gargieston Primary School in Kilmarnock submitted her engineering idea to Primary Engineer’s annual UK STEM competition which asks pupils aged 3 –19 the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”.
She was recognised as one of the winners in her year group at the Scotland South West award ceremony, one of 25 regional UK events, in 2024.
Her creation is a headband which makes it a little easier to focus on school work with features such as noise cancelling, a smart camera, a desk projection plus a customisable look. Her idea was inspired by someone at her school who struggles in class, her idea would help eliminate noise within the classroom that might distract them and maximise their engagement and learning at times.
Each year Industry and University partners of Primary Engineer choose a pupil’s idea to build into a Prototype and to be revealed a year later at the regional awards ceremony.
Thales selected Sophia’s idea to bring to life during the 2024-2025 academic year. The Thales ProtoTeam said “The Focus band is a unique prototype that is capable of enriching the learning experience. Whilst it focuses on bridging the gap for those with learning difficulties, this design idea is beneficial for all learners. Sophia was able to recognise the challenges others face in their learning experience and through collaboration we were able to create something that we feel is truly special! The experience we’ve had working with Primary Engineer and being able to finally unveil our design was unforgettable, we can’t wait to bring more amazing ideas to life.”
The finished prototype was officially unveiled on 13th June 2025 at the Scotland South West regional award ceremony hosted at Glasgow International Airport in Prestwick. Sophia’s family attended the event saying. Nicolle, Sophia’s Mum, commented to say “It was amazing to see the spark in Sophia’s eye when she created the idea then when she found out it would be built, she was super excited. The whole journey has been brilliant, the engineers really listened to everything she said and took time to understand why she had the idea. Sophia has loved every minute of it.”
Sophia said “I was really excited when I was told it would be built, the best bit was seeing it in real life. I loved having the engineers in the school talking about it and doing fun activities”.
“If you were an Engineer, what would you do” is an annual, national competition free to enter for all 3-19 school pupils. Entries are open now for 2025-2026 and schools can register now at www.leadersaward.com
Primary Engineer Public Exhibitions and Award Ceremonies continue all over the UK through to July, with a total of 18 prototypes being unveiled. Read more about the prototypes: https://leadersaward.com/prototeams/
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Editors Notes:
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About Primary Engineer:
Primary Engineer®, since 2005, have developed an engineering curriculum that spans Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Further Education institutions. Its core aims include; the development of children and young people through engagement with engineering, the promotion of engineering careers through inspiring programmes and competitions, the development of engineering skills for teachers and practitioners addressing the inequalities in engineering.
We developed a project-based learning approach to education which enables children and pupils to engage with practical math’s and science alongside creative problem solving and literacy. It has been described as STEM by Stealth® due to the integrated curriculum nature of the programmes which also develop resilience and curiosity.
Strong links to engineers and the industries they work in provides an opportunity for both pupils and teachers to expand their knowledge of careers, career paths and opportunities.