Pupils took on teams from across London in a competition to encourage the engineers of tomorrow.

Canons High School took part in the first annual Lego League to create robots to solve a set of tasks.

The school was pipped to the post in its bid to reach the national finals but both teachers and pupils say they enjoyed the experience.

Teacher Diarmuid Molloy said: “The competition has changed the pupils’ lives by giving them a perspective they’ve not had before about what engineers do.

“It’s helped them understand the application of science and maths, and they have learned about citizenship. Some of them will now definitely pursue a career in engineering as a result.”

Roshan Bhudia, part of the Canonsbot team said: “I’ve had a fun time with the team. The club has helped us get to know each other, and mix with different people.

“It’s opened my eyes to what is involved with engineering, especially with Bechtel engineers coming to talk to us about their careers.”