Youngsters in line for leading award

PUPILS from Blaen Baglan Primary School have been shortlisted for success in a prestigious national competition being run by Swansea’s DVLA.

A team of budding computer programmers from the school responded to the DVLA’S challenge to design and build a computer game from scratch based around one of five themes related to transport or the environment.

Their entry has been shortlisted as one of the best by competition judges at the DVLA, and the school is now set to win the latest IT kit for use in the classroom as a result of their pupils’ skills in writing computer code.

Teams from Gwyrosydd primary in Treboeth, Cadle primary in Fforestfach and Pontlliw primary also received awards for being among the best entries.

The DVLA Code Challenge was first launched last year to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) subjects and IT learning in primary schools and community centres in Wales. After the huge amount of interest last year, this year’s competition has been opened up to include 11 to 14year-olds as well as the category for children aged 7 to 11, meaning pupils from secondary schools can also showcase their skills and win IT prizes for their schools or community centres.

Around 200 children and 150 adults are due to attend this year’s sell-out prize-giving event hosted by the BBC’S Lucy Owen at the DVLA’S digital theatre in Swansea.

Several thousand pupils can take part in the day’s action via a live internet link to schools and community centres across Wales.

DVLA IT manager and Stem ambassador Mark Jones said: “We’ve been blown away by the standard of entries to DVLA’S Code Challenge this year. All those taking part can congratulate themselves.”