Vex Robotic Team Member from Gateshead Primary School Wins National Excellence Award
7th November 2024
We are very happy to celebrate the recent award success in the Design & Technology Association Excellence Awards of one of the Wardley Primary School Vex Robotics World Championship Team.
Iona Nicholson won the Excellence Award for the Bernard Brown Outstanding Pupil: Age 5-11 in the Design & Technology Association Excellence Awards.
Iona, who would like to become an architect, said:
“I enjoy D&T as you never know what you are going to make or design, and I would recommend Vex competitions for other children as it’s a really fun process and team project. As a girl in STEM I think I inspire people quite a lot. I’m happy to receive it and very excited as it’s a fantastic achievement for me and the school.”
The award is presented to a pupil who can demonstrate that D&T has made a positive impact on their overall school experience by allowing them to demonstrate high levels of motivation, enthusiasm, and achievement or enabling them to demonstrate exceptional achievement and performance within the subject.
Tony Ryan, CEO of the Design and Technology Association, recognised Ioan’s achievement, saying:
“Iona is to be congratulated on her well-deserved award and celebrated for going above and beyond what might be expected in her contributions in the D&T classroom. We need more students like Iona to continue to be inspired by D&T and potentially take it further in their education and/or career. She is passionate, motivated and I wish them every success in the future”.
These awards have, since 1999, provided a stage to honour and celebrate the talented individuals advancing design and technology education in the UK.
Iona was part of the Wardley Primary School team that competed in the Vex Robotics World Championships this year in Dallas. This was the second time the school reached the world championships.
Anne Reece, chair of Reece Foundation said:
“It’s great to see interest in STEM going from strength to strength in North East schools. Our support for robotics in schools is all about improving STEM education, training and employment opportunities to benefit the region. Hopefully Iona’s success will inspire many others to think about a career in STEM”
The Design & Technology Association is the UK’s only professional association for all those involved in design and technology education. Serving a membership of over 30,000, they train and support teachers, advise the Government and partner with industry to ensure students leave mainstream education with the knowledge, skills and character sets so highly valued by the design, engineering and manufacturing sectors.
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