End-Tech, a brilliant world-beating team from Endon High School in Staffordshire, have reached this fantastic milestone. They even booked their place in the UK National Final of the First Lego League! With the win, the team—composed of five members—Malachi, Ethan Saunders, Owen, James and a fifth, undisclosed member—landed an enormous victory. They won their area competition, beating fierce opponents from such places as Bradford.
This victory at the regional level wins End-Tech’s second consecutive regional victory and demonstrates End-Tech’s hard work and passion for robotics. They’ll now go on to represent Staffordshire at the national tournament, which is being held in Harrogate. The thrill of their success is clear, especially since this year’s contest was more competitive than ever.
Malachi noted that “the contest this time was tighter due to teams being better this year.” This observation in and of itself reveals the rising level of achievement of FLL competitors, rendering every victory a tremendous achievement.
Owen underscored the team’s tactical enhancement by rolling out a new robot with color sensors on board. “We’ve got a whole different robot with colour sensors this time, that makes it a bit easier to use,” he remarked. The enhancement not only streamlined the robot’s functionality but improved the team’s ability to tackle various challenges set by the judges during the contest.
The team used hundreds of hours to create and program their robot both in school and after to prepare for the competition. Those efforts all came together in a final presentation, where they showcased the robot and what it could do. Throughout the competition, End-Tech earned points by successfully completing tasks assigned by the judges, showcasing their technical skills and teamwork.
James summed up the competition day as “nail biting,” illustrating the fearsome atmosphere as teams sat to hear their verdict. That energy in the air was a true testament to the love and commitment that everyone in that room had towards building a better world together.