THEY are model pupils and that's a fact.Youngsters from Springfield School in Ipswich have used their modelling skills to take part in Young Engineers for Britain.

THEY are model pupils and that's a fact.

Youngsters from Springfield School in Ipswich have used their modelling skills to take part in Young Engineers for Britain.

The event is the biggest of its kind in Europe and offers a showcase to education and industry of the wealth of innovation and creativity among young people in UK schools and colleges.

This national competition has teamed up with K'Nex and the Neighbourhood Engineers Programme for the Junior Engineers for Britain Challenge.

The competition is open to seven to 11-year-olds who can enter individually or with a partner.

Pupils demonstrate their imagination, creativity and ingenuity by designing and making a model with K'Nex Construction Kits. The Neighbourhood Engineers Programme will be providing kits for each school that enters pupils in the final.

Fourteen schools have entered pupils and the final promises to be an exciting event.

The 2002 challenge will be a practical project, which helps children understand the effects of forces in motion and how their model can be moved realistically. As part of their brief pupils will need to give a two minute presentation on their completed construction. The final design will be judged on presentation and communication, originality and innovation, design and operation/function.

Linda Nixon, southern area education business partnership manager, said: "I am delighted with the response to this year's challenge. Pupils across the area have battled it out to be the ones to represent their school at this finals event.

Using K'Nex really stimulates their imagination and gives them an early insight into engineering challenges."