Students at The Birley Academy took the title of the best entry from Sheffield in a national rocket launching competition – and claimed third place in the whole country.

The team from The Birley Academy, part of the successful L.E.A.D. Academy Trust family of schools, achieved the top spot in the city and third nationwide at this year’s UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC).

UKROC is a prestigious national competition for secondary school students aged 11 to 18 from secondary schools, colleges, educational facilities, or youth groups, and involves the challenge of designing, building, and launching a model rocket with a fragile payload, which is a delicate object such as a raw egg.

From designing and building their rockets to executing flawless launches, the team – led by Year 8 student Holly demonstrated creativity, collaboration and innovation throughout the competition.

The competition is designed to encourage young people to develop an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths), and inspire them to consider exciting careers in the aerospace, defence, and space industries.

The Birley Academy is immensely proud of Holly and the entire team for their exceptional performance in the competition. The school hopes their success will inspire other students to participate in the competition next year and cultivate a keen interest in developing STEM skills.