Pupils wow Google and MoD chiefs at Grand Final

Longridge pupils were at the heart of UK technological innovation this week after reaching the Grand Final of the 14^th Annual PA Raspberry Pi competition.

This nationwide coding competition is designed to inspire the next generation of innovators and, from countless entries from across the country, the hard work and creativity of Miriam, Robin and Seb (pictured) earned them a coveted spot at the Grand Final.

They introduced to the world “SensiGrow – the ultimate smart-garden solution”. The project by the Longridge team features a network of sleek, battery-powered sensors that track temperature, light and moisture in real-time.

This data is beamed straight to a Raspberry Pi hub, which transforms the stats into a custom mobile web app which doesn’t just monitor but delivers expert care advice directly to your phone to ensure your plants are always thriving.

In the finals day at Google HQ in London, the team showcased their invention and was treated to an incredibly exciting day networking with business leaders and peers from across various industries.

Miriam, Robin, and Seb manned their own exhibition stand, demonstrating their project and chatting with other talented student teams about their ingenious ideas, and the event culminated in a high-energy Awards Ceremony held in the “Major Tom” room.

The judging panel, which included heavyweights from Google Cloud and the Ministry of Defence, was deeply impressed by the Longridge students and while they narrowly missed out on the top prize, the judges praised the Longridge team for “stellar teamwork, brilliant ingenuity and advanced coding skills” and added: “We were inspired by their ingenious ideas and outstanding work.”

To recognise their achievement in reaching the UK Grand Final, the team was presented with official certificates and a beautiful silver trophy which will take pride of place back in the school.