We are thrilled to announce that a team of three Year 10 pupils — Amara Okonkwo, James Liu, and Rosie Beckett — won first place at the South West Regional Science Fair, held at the University of Bristol on Saturday 15th February. Their project, entitled "Clean Water from Waste: Sustainable Filtration Using Recycled Materials," impressed the judging panel with its scientific rigour, creative approach, and real-world applicability. The team competed against over forty entries from schools across the region and were awarded the Gold Medal and a prize of laboratory equipment for the school.
The project investigated whether effective water filtration systems could be constructed using readily available recycled materials, including crushed ceramic waste, activated charcoal from coconut shells, and reclaimed sand. Over a period of six months, the team designed and tested multiple filter prototypes in our school laboratories, measuring their effectiveness at removing common contaminants. Their results demonstrated that a layered filter combining all three materials could remove up to 97% of particulate matter and significantly reduce bacterial contamination — findings that have genuine implications for low-cost water purification in developing communities.
The judges praised the team's methodical experimental design, their thorough statistical analysis of results, and the clarity and professionalism of their presentation. Professor Helen Marsh, who chaired the judging panel, described the project as "an outstanding example of young scientists applying rigorous methodology to a problem of genuine global significance." She also commended the pupils' ability to field challenging questions from the panel with confidence and depth of knowledge.
I would like to congratulate Amara, James, and Rosie on this well-deserved achievement. Their dedication — giving up many lunchtimes and after-school sessions to refine their research — has been exemplary. They now go forward to represent the South West at the National Science Fair in Birmingham in June. We wish them every success and look forward to following their progress. This result is a testament to the strength of science education at Brindleford and the curiosity and ambition of our pupils.