Tuxford Academy's Team Fast4ward made it through to the national final of The Land Rover 4x4 in Schools Technology Challenge ' a global competition 11-19-year-olds.

Team Fast4Ward (Joe Limby, Eathan Oakley, Jacob Vernon, Philip Brackenridge and Jac Warriner) qualified for this prestigious event by winning the 'Best Rookie' and 'Best Track Performance' categories at regional competitions. During the regional finals, the team was given the chassis of a radio-controlled 4x4 and had to improve its performance. The team added a body, sensors which detected the angle of the vehicle and light-detecting sensors which powered the headlights when it became dark.

One of the requirements of the regional competitions was that the team generate sponsorship in order to cover the costs of competing, which they did by contacting local companies and Eminox, the Gainsborough-based manufacturer of exhaust after-treatment systems for heavy duty vehicles stepped in to help.

The students were also encouraged to design a stainless steel stand to exhibit their vehicle and they visited the Eminox site in Gainsborough to see how it was manufactured.

For the national finals, the five Year 10 GCSE Engineering students designed and built a radio-controlled 4x4 vehicle that could negotiate a specially-designed test track. Team Fast4ward competed against 26 other schools from around the UK, performing extremely well in all areas and were praised by the judges for their professional image and knowledge of engineering.

Mr Dave Birchall, Engineering teacher at Tuxford Academy, said: 'Team Fast4ward performed incredibly well and was a credit to Tuxford. To have made it to the national finals is an incredible achievement and I am very proud of their efforts.

'Competitions like these give students a fantastic opportunity to engage with employers, whilst making links between their subject and potential careers to the engineered world around them.

'We look forward to competing again next year and aim to become the UK National Champions. Team Fast4ward would like to thank their sponsors for their support and generous donations'