STUDENTS and staff have been celebrating after Barrow Hall College, Great Sankey, made it to the national championship of a robotics competition for a second time.

The team was victorious in the VEX Robotics north west regional competition in Manchester after creating a robot which could move beanbags into different height and shaped goals and competed against a range of secondary and sixth form teams.

Lee Welsh, design and technology teacher, said: ‘I’m so proud of the students in gaining a place at the VEX national finals.

“After the high of being national champions at the beginning of the year they have worked really hard in building a new robot and had a fantastic time at the competition.

“It feels great to be able to give the students a project that challenges not only their design skills but their whole range of science, engineering and maths abilities.”

The team will be defending their title at the national finals, which will take place as part of The Big Bang Fair at Excel in London in March.

The winner of the national competition will also have the opportunity to compete at the world championships in California in April.