A LEGO robot designed and built by pupils at Commonweal School has won a top award. The 1ft-wide, three-wheeled vehicle which is programmed to push and fling blocks across a purpose-built ground was built by a team of young scientists who have been giving up their spare time to create the machine.

Team Technic Tricycle, made up of six Year 7 pupils, was awarded the runner’s up prize for their robot at the Lego League Regional finals at HP Filton Labs in Bristol. They had to beat off tough competition from the 24 other groups from across the south west.

Travis Hartshorne, 12, carried out most of the programming for the robot after school each week since September.

“It was quite hard,” he said. “We’ve had to put in quite a lot of extra time and come in most days to work on it.

Halle Gordan-Jeary, 12, said she first signed up to the club because she thought it would be a lot of fun.

“It sounded really cool,” she said. “It’s been interesting learning about how it all gets put together.”

Martin Scandling, who teaches ICT, said the children have learnt a lot of skills during the project.

“Considering the very short time they had to build it they have done very well,” he said. “It is something they have really run themselves. They came up with the project and worked out how it could all be designed.”