Ten Wycombe schoolgirls won a prestigious engineering award after beating other schools in a national competition.

The Wycombe High pupils took home coveted prize given by the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Their prize?

A chance to complete a week-long residential engineering course at RAF Cosford this summer.

Diya, one of the winners, said: “I feel really excited to know that we got selected and that our hard work has paid off at the end.”

The annual STAAR (Summer Time Advanced Aerospace Residency) Contest is organised by the RAF in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman Foundation, who encourage STEM education in schools. 

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Physics teacher, Jeremy Crocker, said: “To win this illustrious award, the Wycombe High students had to perform various engineering tasks across the STEM spectrum, culminating in the design and specification of a military drone”.

Despite their obvious strengths as a team, the girls didn't believe the news at first. 

Sabira said: “I’m shocked – and very excited”, while another student Kavyaa added: “I didn’t think we were going to win but we did!”

Headteacher Sharon Cromie revealed the news of the competition victory by surprising the ten students in one of the Wycombe High’s Physics labs.

She said: “Well done to all ten students and to our Physics teacher Jeremy Crocker for overseeing the winning entry.

“It’s fantastic news – and we are especially proud and delighted because Wycombe High champions the inspiration, encouragement and empowerment of young women to foster the next generation of engineers, designers and makers.”