On Saturday 7th March, two talented teams from Laurus Ryecroft took part in the regional qualifier of the FIRST Tech UK Robotics Competition—an inspiring event that brought together creativity, engineering, teamwork and determination.
This year’s challenge, DECODE, tasked teams with designing, building and programming a robot capable of collecting and launching balls into a scoring zone in a specific sequence. The fast-paced game was split into three exciting stages:
Autonomous Mode – Robots were required to move and score independently using pre-written code, with no human intervention.
Driver-Controlled Mode – Teams took control of their robots, demonstrating precision driving, smart strategy and efficient scoring.
End Game – The final phase offered teams the chance to earn crucial extra points through strategic end positioning.
Laurus Ryecroft was proudly represented by two teams: Ryecroft Robotics, our established school team, and R2 Developments, a newly formed Sixth Form team competing for the very first time.
Both teams worked tirelessly throughout the season, designing, building and coding their robots from the ground up. Their dedication, problem-solving skills and teamwork were evident throughout the competition.
While neither team progressed to the national finals this year, both delivered strong performances and showed impressive resilience and innovation.
We are especially delighted to share that our Sixth Form team, R2 Developments, was awarded the Sustain Award.
This award recognises teams with a clear and compelling plan for the future of their robotics programme, ensuring it continues to grow, develop and inspire students for years to come. Judges look for evidence of long-term planning, leadership, financial sustainability, project vision and community engagement.
The judges commented:
“The team stood out for their collaboration, team-building and community engagement. We were particularly impressed given this was their first year in the competition.”
This recognition is a fantastic achievement for a first-year team and reflects the commitment, creativity and ambition of our Sixth Form students.
We could not be prouder of both Ryecroft Robotics and R2 Developments. Their perseverance, ingenuity and collaborative spirit truly represent the very best of Laurus Ryecroft.
We look forward to seeing how both teams continue to develop their ideas, refine their robots and push the boundaries of innovation in future competitions.
Well done to all our roboticists, you’ve made the school proud!