Ninety students from across the Ted Wragg Trust family of schools gathered at the Exeter Future Skills Centre last week for their annual Innovation Competition, designed to unleash creativity and bold thinking for a better, more sustainable world.

Run in partnership with Exeter College and the Green Skills Advisory Panel, the event challenged young people to tackle some of society’s most pressing problems and to develop their own powerful solutions.

Students worked for several months in teams to either design the “Town of the Future” or create a compelling Climate Action Plan for their school, combining real-world thinking and imagination.

In a dynamic showcase of creativity and vision, students presented their ideas including AI-driven crop monitoring, reimagined kinetic walking and cycle paths, inspiring nature reserves, and tidal power solutions to help the planet.

Other imaginative concepts included solar energy expansion, sensor-controlled street lamps, and moss-covered breeze blocks designed to clean the air.

Judges from the world of business and local government were wowed by the ideas, depth of thought, and confidence of the student teams during live presentations and Q&A sessions.

The Primary School Winner was Exwick Heights Primary School for their incredible vision for a town of the future with innovations including kinetic energy pathways, wind farms and a repair centre. Judges were impressed with how they had thought about the town as a whole and the lives people living there would lead and said: “This team gave a very comprehensive town vision with a strong presentation. Their moss-covered breeze block was brilliant.”

The Secondary School Winner was Tor Bridge High for their innovative ideas to bring about climate action at their school immediately and in the long term. They shared how they had conducted detailed audits across four key areas of; energy consumption, efficiency and reuse; use, recycle and repurpose; upgrading the Science Garden; and rewilding the pond with a plastic bottle greenhouse and bug hotels.

Judges praised the team for: “A clear focus on four areas, strong stakeholder engagement, excellent recycling targets, and realistic, identifiable actions.”

All Saints Academy in Plymouth were highly commended winning the Teamwork Award whilst Whipton Barton Federation won the Presentation Award.

As well as presenting their projects, students rotated through a LEGO Serious Play Zone run by Make Happy, where they used building principles to create sustainable towns, and a Minecraft Education experience, constructing digital green schools and cities using Minecraft Education’s Green Building Challenge.

The judging panel included:

• Jamie Brookes – Director of Green Funding Solutions, E.ON
• David Lewis – Programme Manager, South West Net Zero Hub
• Natalia Kasitz – Apprenticeship and Social Value Manager, Progressive
• Jackie Brown – Operations Support Manager, E.ON
• Joel Smith – Social Value Manager, Willmott Dixon
• Paul Osborne – Green Infrastructure Project Manager, East Devon District Council
• James Rayner – Project Manager, EX2 Group

Jackie Brown, Operations Support Manager at E.ON added: “The teamwork, creativity, and passion were outstanding. I’m especially inspired by the water-bottle greenhouse—I’m going to try that at home!”

Paul Osborne, Green Infrastructure Project Manager at East Devon District Council said: “The sheer creative energy behind these projects was incredible.”

The Innovation Competition is just one of several Trust-wide initiatives, as part of their commitment to transforming lives and strengthening communities, designed to connect students and deliver opportunities outside the classroom to bring learning to life.

Tim Rutherford, Deputy CEO at the Ted Wragg Trust, said: “Every day in our schools, I am uplifted by the incredible work of our brilliant students. This year’s Innovation Competition showcased children from a range of ages, all working together for many months to bring their ideas to life. It was inspiring to see them engage so thoughtfully, presenting innovative ideas backed by deep research and impressive collaboration.

“As a Trust made up of 18 schools, all united by our values of ambition, selflessness, and collaboration, moments like these are truly special. It’s a privilege to come together as a community, challenge each other, and learn from one another.

“A huge thank you to all the judges, sponsors, and special guests for their generosity of time and commitment. Your support plays a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of innovators, and together, we are making the world a better place. Congratulations to all the students who took part in this year’s competition!”

Luke Moss, Skills Manager at Exeter College and GSAP Board Member added: “We are proud to be partnered with the Trust to host this exciting Innovation Competition, which showcased the extraordinary potential of young people across Devon. Watching students collaborate, problem-solve and present with such passion and purpose was truly inspiring. Events like this reflect our shared commitment to equipping young people with the skills our region needs for a sustainable future and we are honoured to have played a role in empowering the next generation of innovators and changemakers.”

This year’s event was made possible by the generous support of sponsors: Coreus Group, ECO-TECH, Willmott Dixon, Progressive, Obell, E.ON, and EX2.