Year 7 Students Progress to Regional ‘Big Ideas’ Competition

We are delighted to share that a group of Year 7 students from Oxclose Community Academy have successfully progressed to the regional stage of the Big Ideas competition, which will take place in York.

The achievement follows several months of dedicated work, during which students developed, refined and perfected their projects after being inspired by the Big Ideas Sustainability Day in the autumn term. The initiative encouraged pupils to explore innovative solutions to real-world challenges, with a strong focus on sustainability and social impact.

Since then, the students have demonstrated impressive commitment, creativity and resilience. Their progression to the regional competition reflects the strength of their business planning, alongside confident and well-delivered presentations that made a strong impression on the judging panel.

The shortlisted projects include:

EH Dementia Awareness – A service designed to support individuals living with dementia and their families. The initiative focuses on practical daily assistance, companionship and inclusive activities such as school-linked choirs and dementia cafés, helping to reduce isolation and promote community connection.

Fix It Bin – An interactive, AI-powered recycling bin that engages users through conversation, educating young people on how to correctly sort waste. The concept aims to improve recycling habits while making the process more engaging and accessible.

4CL – A combined product, service and awareness campaign centred around the Coral Un-Bleacher robot. The innovation is designed to cool reef waters, support coral restoration, enable environmental monitoring and encourage wider community action to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems.

We are incredibly proud of the students’ ambition and determination and wish them every success as they represent Oxclose Community Academy at the next stage of the competition.