A group of Telford College students have qualified for the national finals of a prestigious geology competition.
The top 10 teams in the UK have been invited to the Geological Society of London’s headquarters in Piccadilly on March 18 to compete for the 2025 title.
And they include the five-strong Telford College team, made up of a mixture of year one and year two geology A level students – Chris Ross, Alissa Warrender, Viel Talens, Lily Pugh and Lloyd Smith.
This is only the second year that the college has been running a geology A level course, and it is the first time it has entered a team in the competition.
Geology tutor Ffion Butler will be travelling with the students to the London finals, where they will face one final 90-minute problem-solving challenge to stake their claim for the national title.
“We’re so proud of the students, who have shown real flair, imagination and enthusiasm for this project which they began working on back in November,” she said.
“For their submission, they made a puppet theatre which tells the story of the death of dinosaurs, and used it to create a video.
“They built the theatre with help from our art department, wrote the script, and shot and edited the film.”
Judges described it as a ‘fantastic entry’ and said the Telford College students ‘absolutely smashed the brief’ with lots of good content and great creativity. One of the judges said: “It was so creative and interesting to watch. I could see this being shown in schools.”
The Schools Geology Challenge is a competition where students showcase their interest in geology, learn more about the way geoscience impacts our lives, and put their teamwork and presentation skills to the test.
The annual competition is open to any interested students who are currently studying geology, geography or science A levels at schools or colleges across the UK.
First prize includes the coveted Schools Geology Challenge Trophy, £500 to use towards geoscience education, a year’s Student Membership with the Geological Society for each team member, and a winner’s a certificate.
The Geological Society of London is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe, with more than 12,000 Fellows.
