The Stonar Way 08.05.26

The co-curricular programme at Stonar continues to demonstrate that some of the most important learning experiences happen beyond the classroom. Whether through sport, enterprise, creativity, service or adventure, pupils develop the confidence, resilience and teamwork that so often shape future careers and lifelong passions. Indeed, sport and adventure training very much rescued a shy and uncertain 14 year old me at school and became my lifelong passions.

This week provided a perfect example. A group of our pupils travelled to Google Headquarters for the final of the prestigious PA Raspberry Pi Competition UK and achieved an extraordinary result. Competing in the Year 7–9 category - reportedly the most heavily contested and hardest category to win - the team secured the coveted Innovation Award, bringing home both a trophy and £1,000 for the school.

The product the pupils made, ‘Budd-Ai’, is a real-time sensory monitoring system specifically designed to support neurodivergent children by detecting environmental triggers like excessive noise, temperature, and activity. By processing live data through a Raspberry Pi, sensors, camera and microphone. The device provides immediate, color-coded feedback in a short message to help users identify and manage overstimulation before it becomes overwhelming.

The judges were full of praise for the pupils’ work, describing it as “a fantastic product that would help many people”, adding that it was “a simple idea done well” and that “this should be developed into a real product.” Perhaps most pleasing of all was the comment that “when judging your team it was like talking to a mini business.” That observation perfectly captures the value of co-curricular opportunities: pupils are not only learning knowledge, but also how to communicate ideas, solve problems collaboratively and think entrepreneurially. You can read more about the finalists here: PA Raspberry Pi Competition UK finalists and in the article in this edition of Stonar Matters.

This spirit of challenge and opportunity continues this weekend as Stonar once again has three teams taking part in the renowned Ten Tors Challenge. The event demands determination, endurance, teamwork and leadership - qualities that stay with young people long after the finish line.

At the same time, the school will also be proudly represented at the world-famous Badminton Horse Trials. Alongside former pupils competing in one of the world’s premier three-day events, Stonar will have its own stand at Badminton throughout the weekend. We would be delighted to see pupils, parents and families there supporting both the school and our alumni.

These achievements remind us that education is about far more than examinations alone. The experiences pupils gain through clubs, competitions, sport and wider opportunities often become the moments that define ambitions, inspire careers and build character for life.