SATRO Problem Solving Competition

Last Thursday a team of six Third Year pupils attended the finals of the Surrey based SATRO competition. The competition revolves around problem solving and engineering, and each year the teams have 90 minutes to design and build a solution to a challenge. Sustainability is a large part of the challenge with the task in the final requiring the use of wind power to move an object as fast as possible (as well as extra points if fewer materials are used). Caterham had already entered the first round heat held at St Bedes’ School with teams from the Third, Fourth and Lower Sixth Years. All did well in the heats but the Fourth and Lower Sixth teams just missed out on qualifying for the finals (only 8 Schools qualified out of the 35 entered per age group).

The final was held in Guildford at the University of Surrey Campus, with a tour and quick chance to see one of their teaching telescopes before the competition. The Third Year team of Rupert M, Lexie B, Taiyan L, Ben D, Henry BH and Oliver J excelled in the final task with a top-notch design. In the end they missed out on first place by 0.5 points but did the school proud with second place. This marks the third year in a row that at least one team from Caterham has qualified for the final and also the third year that we have won a trophy.