CAMELSDALE Primary School accelerated into a top 10 finish in last year’s Greenpower Green Goblin race at the world-famous Goodwood Motor Circuit.

The team effort was sponsored by leading paints, colours and coatings company, AkzoNobel UK, which is currently competing in the Volvo Ocean Race.

The Green Goblin race is organised by the Greenpower Education Trust, which aims to inspire young people to pursue science and engineering, by challenging them to design, build and race an electric car.

Camelsdale pupils came up against stiff competition from teams – sponsored by famous automotive names such as Rolls Royce and Lanzante Racing – to finish ninth overall out of 84 teams.

During the build, the year six students had to master a wide range of skills, from steering and propulsion, to bodywork design and fabrication. They had to understand how an electric motor works and a battery charges.

All the skills required are all heavily reliant on science, technology, engineering and mathematics - otherwise known as STEM subjects.

STEM learning is a government-backed scheme which aims to help young people pursue careers that lend themselves to skills in these subjects.

Jon Amor, VR premium sales manager at AkzoNobel for the UK and Ireland, said: “I’m so pleased for Camelsdale Primary School, they all did so well.

“Greenpower Education Trust is a brilliant cause and events like this are a great source of inspiration for the next generation of scientists and engineers. It’s something we’re proud to support.

“We really value the role events like this have in developing STEM skills, because without our world-leading scientists and engineers, an important part of what we do wouldn’t be possible.

“It would be great if today helped kickstart the career of a future AkzoNobel employee.”

Camelsdale Primary School headteacher Sarah Palmer added: “Firstly, I’d like to say just how proud we are of our team and say a huge thank-you to AkzoNobel for its kind sponsorship.

“We’re always looking for ways to better help our students’ development, and the Greenpower Education Trust’s Green Goblin race was perfect.

“Importantly, the race is great fun, but it also takes a lot of skill to get one of these electric cars race-ready.

“The skills these students have learnt will stay with them for the rest of their lives and who knows, it may just inspire them to pursue a career in engineering one day.”

Camelsdale Primary will be back in action to try and improve on its ninth-place finish at the iconic Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome in the summer.