STUDENTS from Cirencester Deer Park school powered up their engineering talents to take part in a challenge to design a wind turbine.

Working in small groups, 20 Year 10 students took part in the day-long Wind Turbine Challenge, set by educational charity The Smallpeice Trust in conjunction with GCHQ in Cheltenham.

The challenge drew upon the design, technology, engineering and maths skills of the pupils and asked them to build a wind turbine to produce the greatest amount of energy.

The turbine had to be free-standing and structurally robust to support heavy components and moving parts.

Student Tom Walker, 15, said: “I love making things, so I was looking forward to the day as soon as I heard about it and it turned out to be an excellent experience.”

The school’s head of design faculty Annemarie Evans said: “We were delighted to have this amazing opportunity. It will encourage our pupils to connect the taught elements of science and technology to what happens in engineering in the real world.”

The winning team, made up of Georgina Day, Aaron Duncan, Archie White, Jamie Kemmet and Callum House will represent Deer Park at the final on Tuesday, March 20 at Cheltenham Race Course and will compete against other schools from the surrounding area who worked on the same project.