A BOURNEMOUTH girls’ school has taken home an international award for Great Britain.

An all-girls robotics team won a gold medal at the world’s largest youth robotics competition.

Students aged 15 to 17 from Bournemouth School for Girls competed among other teams from more than 190 countries to represent the nation at the FIRST Global robotics competition in Athens.

(Image: BSG)

The girls’ victory marks the first time a UK team has won an individual team award in the competition’s history, the Katherine Johnson Award for Engineering Documentation.

They also ranked in the top 50 per cent of teams for their robot’s performance, securing eight wins out of 11 matches.

(Image: BSG)

Toby Osborne, robotics coach for Team Great Britain and assistant headteacher at BSG, said: "It was an absolute privilege for these girls to represent the UK, and winning the first-ever UK engineering award at the competition is a testament to their resilience and talent.

“They’ve had to overcome communication barriers, adapt quickly, and collaborate with young people from dozens of nations.

“Their engineering documentation reflects their dedication and ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to international judges. This gold medal shows that anyone can excel in STEM, especially girls."

Patrice John-Baptiste, head of impact and engagement at FIRST UK, added: “We at FIRST UK are immensely proud of Team Great Britain’s accomplishment.

“What the team has achieved on a global stage with only a few years of experience is testament to their tenacity, dedication and inclusive approach to robotics.

“This is more than building robots – through their outreach and campaigning, they have individually demonstrated great leadership, empowering young women to be proactive in forming a more equitable future in STEM where women have a firm place as innovators in industry.

“They are incredible, and the industry will be lucky to have them taking on the world’s biggest challenges in the future.”

Team member, Emily, reflected on the life-changing impact of the event: "This week has changed how I see the world and the people in it.

“I feel proud to represent women across the UK who may not have the chance to explore STEM without fear of judgment. We’ve shown that you can wear makeup and pink while building an amazing robot."

The four-day event took place between September 26 and 29.