A group of Cumbrian school children have come out on top in a prestigious national computing competition.
Chetwynde School have triumphed in a prestigious national computing competition backed by Oxford University.
Seven Chetwynde School students achieved a gold award in the Bebras Challenge backed by Oxford University and organised by the Raspberry Pi Foundation – putting them in the top ten percent of students nationally.
The challenge is a series of problems known as Bebras tasks based on informatics and computational thinking.
Pupils from across year seven and eight in the school sat the challenge.
Stefan Olphert, who is head of mathematics and computing at the school, said it was an outstanding performance and said he wanted pupils to be really proud of their achievements.
He said: “The challenges were complex and required a high level of knowledge of programming and coding as well as dedication and strong focus in exam-like conditions.
“Congratulations to all the students who took part, in particular those who achieved the gold award showing exceptional problem-solving skills.”
Those achieving gold were Kye Turner, Ava Dunseath, Jake Brown, James Bartlett, Matthew Silk, Harrison Rudd and Nikhil Nair.
Kye, who achieved the highest marks placing him best in school, said he had enjoyed the competition.
He said: “It was difficult but I enjoyed it because it was something different.”
Stefan also thanked fellow Chetwynde staff Sheila Coull and Kiera Peifer for their help supporting pupils for the challenge.
Chetwynde headteacher Steve Jefferson said everyone in the school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, is really impressed with the results.
He added: “The success of our students in this competition reflects the high standard of education and the supportive learning environment at Chetwynde School.
“We are really proud to give our students opportunities outside of classroom learning to showcase their skills.”
