Posted on / in 'If you were an engineer' Competition

Shining a spotlight on pupil innovation at London regional awards

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 25th June at Kingston University in 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 40 pupils from schools across our ‘London’ region being celebrated.

Reception

  • Highly Commended – Bug House by Sara P, Preston Park Primary School
  • Winner – House by Nikolas L, Preston Park Primary School
  • Winner – Lego-Sort by Oscar K, West Lodge School

Year 1

  • Highly Commended – Dreamcatcher by Filip A, Preston Park Primary School
  • Highly Commended – Elbertt by Sultan S, Ark Priory Primary Academy
  • Winner – Safety Gate by Sachin W, Pelham Primary School
  • Winner – Fire Bot by Hana L, Eleanor Palmer Primary School

Year 2

  • Highly Commended – The Magic Reading Pen by Alice B, West Lodge School
  • Highly Commended – Spy Glass by Alice C, Donhead Preparatory School
  • Winner – Book Dedtecture by Max, La Fontaine Academy
  • Winner – Pollution-Cleaning Shoes by Ibbi B, Parkgate House School

Year 3

  • Highly Commended – Pencil Holding Ring by Riya, La Fontaine Academy
  • Highly Commended – Idea Fridge by Mia W, West Lodge School
  • Winner – Cancer Detector by Haasini A, Beam Primary School
  • Winner – I-Stick by Lily B, Pelham Primary School

Year 4

  • Highly Commended – Girl Safety Jacket by Bella S, Concordia Academy
  • Highly Commended – H2O Backpack by Joel S, Christ Church CofE Primary School
  • Winner – Hedgehog Crossing by Faye B, Pelham Primary School
  • Winner – Never Changing Prosthetic Leg by Fox S, Eleanor Palmer Primary School

Year 5

  • Highly Commended – The Catercleaner Fixer by Evie K, James Allen’s Junior School
  • Highly Commended – Air Resistant Cake Blower by Khadijah K, Norwood Green Junior School
  • Winner – V.I.B (Easy Sleep) by Hugo D, Pelham Primary School
  • Winner – Chimney Turbine by Willa S, Parkgate House School

Year 6

  • Highly Commended – The Never-Forget Door by Kirat B, Norwood Green Junior School
  • Highly Commended – Tube-O Airbag by Zakariya G, Eastcourt Independent School
  • Winner – Puff Pal by Sophia H, Eastcourt Independent School
  • Winner – Purged Filament Re-User by Lucy A, Crofton Junior School

Year 7

  • Highly Commended -3D Printed Shinpads by Dario T, Chiswick School
  • Highly Commended – EG Pedals by Otto J, Chiswick School
  • Winner – The Pitch Switch by Ken L, Chiswick School
  • Winner – Self-Closing Rowing Gates by Cordelia F, Chiswick School

Year 8

  • Highly Commended – Ingredicook by Milena G, Bentley Wood High School
  • Winner – Ultrabubble Cleaning by Sienna G, Bentley Wood High School
  • Winner – The Crop’s Protector by Gayatri K, Bentley Wood High School

Year 9

  • Highly Commended – Suction Cup Holder by Subhaan K, Chadwell Heath Academy
  • Highly Commended – Corridor Control at School by Sara Y, Chadwell Heath Academy
  • Winner – Smart School Bag by Vaniza D, Chadwell Heath Academy
  • Winner – Toy Box by Aisha S, Chadwell Heath Academy

Year 12

  • Winner – Thrive and Strive by Fatima S, Cardinal Wiseman

Congratulations to all the pupils, including Fox S from Eleanor Palmer Primary School, whose idea “’Never Changing Prosthetic Leg” 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 ‘The Magnetic Car’ prototype was unveiled at the ceremony, brought to life by Thales (Crawley) based on the idea of Year 2 pupil, Isabella.

Thank you to our National and Regional partners for fully-funding this competition and helping us bringing engineering into classrooms in London.

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/