End-Tech, an incredibly talented robotics team from Endon High School in Staffordshire, has pulled off a stunning upset. They earned their way to the national tournament with a victory in their second straight regional championship clash. The team, composed of five passionate players—Owen, James, Ethan Saunders, Malachi, along with their coach—displayed jaw-dropping ball handling talent. From there, they designed and programmed a robot that was able to complete the most challenges defined by the judges.
The regional contest was no less fierce, as teams from as far away as Bradford came to demonstrate their passion. This year’s event proved particularly challenging, as Malachi noted, “We’ve swapped to a new coding software that uses Python so it’s much more accurate than it used to be.” It wasn’t just the team’s implementation that made a difference — their agility and innovation in strategy made the biggest impact on their success.
End-Tech’s robot featured advanced colour sensors, which Owen highlighted, saying, “We’ve got a whole different robot with colour sensors this time, that makes it a bit easier to use.” Integrating these sensors helped the robot to safely avoid obstacles and carry out tasks more effectively and efficiently. Teams earned points based on their performance in these challenges, which included not only physical tasks but a presentation about their robot’s capabilities.
The road to victory was not easy. The students spent countless hours in and out of school to make the robot’s design and programming the best it could be. Their efforts weren’t for naught, as they were able to beat more experienced teams that exceeded their technical capabilities and teamwork.
Representing Staffordshire at the national tournament in Harrogate, End-Tech’s members are excited about the opportunity to compete on a larger stage. The team is coming off a recent regional victory and is looking to build on that success. We’re hoping to make a big splash at the first UK National Final of First Lego League.
As they prepare for the upcoming challenge, the team reflects on their journey and the lessons learned along the way. Their technical skills have been honed from being in the field. All the while, it has developed an incredible sense of teamwork and friendship across the crew members.