Kennet School pupils show their need for speed

Thatcham pupils' are third fastest in national science competition

KENNET School pupils’ need for speed has seen them named the third fastest school in the country… at foam car racing.

Race for the Line is a national competition involving more than 600 schools run by the Bloodhound Project in partnership with Microsoft.

The competition uses the 1,000mph world land speed record attempt to inspire the next generation of technologists, engineers and scientists.

Kennet was chosen as the school to launch the national campaign in April with the school’s winning team making it through to the national finals held at the Santapod raceway on July 5 with the top three teams winning a cash prize for their school.

Kennet pupils Finlay Pollington, Mackenzie Myers, Matthew O’Callaghan and Nathan Goren competed against 30 schools at the Northamptonshire venue.

The Kennet team’s engineering ingenuity saw them finish third fastest in the country, losing out by 1,000th of a second.

Headmaster Paul Dick congratulated the Bloodhound pupils and the school’s head of IT, Mel Poyda, for getting the school involved in the project.

He said: “I am amazed at their technical ability and their understanding of aerodynamics, speed and the technologies involved.

“I congratulate them all and am particularly grateful to Microsoft and the Bloodhound Project for giving so many schools this wonderful opportunity.”

Pupils also witnessed a demonstration from the world record holder fastest model car, travelling at 520 miles an hour.