Yorkshire Schoolkids Win UK LEGO Title And Head To Florida For World Finals

A group of schoolmates from Bradford Grammar School have just pulled off something pretty incredible – they've been crowned the UK champions of the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge, a huge global competition for young inventors, coders and problem-solvers. Their win means they’ll be hopping on a plane to Florida in June to take on the best from around the world.

And we’re not talking about just stacking bricks into castles. This is proper robotics, coding, presentations and teamwork. Think “LEGO meets The Apprentice” – but with fewer suits and more imagination.

What is the FIRST LEGO League Challenge?

If you’ve never heard of the FIRST LEGO League, imagine a science fair mixed with a robot Olympics – and it’s all themed around real-world problems. This year’s theme was ‘Submerged’, which meant everything revolved around water, oceans, and what goes on under the surface.

Teams had to build and program a LEGO robot to complete tricky missions in just two and a half minutes. These tasks could include things like fixing a broken pipeline (in LEGO form, of course) or rescuing sea animals (also LEGO). But that’s just one part. They also had to design a project based on the theme and pitch it to actual engineers and industry experts – including people from Bosch.

And yes, this was all done by kids. Let that sink in.

Who are The Incredilegos?

That’s the name of the nine-person dream team from Bradford Grammar. A mix of Year 9 to Year 12 students, they’ve been working together since September 2024 to prep for the big day. And it paid off. In March, they smashed the Manchester regional heat, scooping up two big wins: the Robot Performance Award and Regional Champions Award.

Now they’ve gone one better by taking the national crown. Out of more than 900 teams across the UK, The Incredilegos came out on top.

One of the team members, Year 12 student Harry Warman, summed it up perfectly:

“It’s amazing! We’ve been doing LEGO for so many years and we never thought we’d get to this stage. We hope to make BGS proud in Florida – what a great year for Bradford!”

The Florida finals – what happens next?

In June 2025, the team will fly to Daytona, Florida to represent the UK in the FIRST LEGO League International Invitational. Only one UK team gets picked – and this year, it's them. They’ll go head-to-head with 96 other teams from around the world, showing off their robot skills, pitching their ideas, and probably sweating buckets in the Florida heat.

Between now and then, they’ll be refining their robot, tweaking their project, and – like most school trips – organising some fundraising to help get them there.

Year 9 student Aziza Asghar shared what it means to them:

"It means so much to us; we’re humbled by the win and look forward to representing BGS and Bradford in Florida.”

Why this matters for STEM in schools

Behind all the LEGO bricks and clever coding, this win is a big deal for STEM education in the UK – that’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, if you’re wondering.

Their teacher and club leader, Nadeem Asghar, said:

"This is a huge achievement for our students and the school. Lunchtime clubs like LEGO Robotics are just one of the many ways we support STEM at BGS. I want students to have a deep and rich experience of Computer Science – and this competition gives them a real opportunity to explore the subject well beyond the classroom.”

And he's right. Learning coding by making a robot shark do a dance is way more fun than just reading about binary numbers in a textbook.

What made their project so special?

The judges at the Manchester tournament didn’t hold back. One judge – who’d been to loads of events across the country – told them they were the best team he’d seen. That’s pretty high praise.

Their robot was fast, precise and built to handle all the underwater-themed missions. And their presentation? Sharp, passionate and clearly full of effort.

Here’s what helped them stand out:

• Robot design: clever programming and solid build quality
• Innovation project: thoughtful, relevant, and well-pitched
• Teamwork: you could tell these students really worked well together
• Consistency: every round, they delivered

What’s next for The Incredilegos?

Right now, they’re juggling schoolwork, robot testing, and trip planning. They’ll need to:

• Raise funds to cover travel and accommodation in the US
• Refine their presentation for international judges
• Keep practising those robot runs – because in competition, every second counts

No doubt they’ll be doing a few extra lunchtime sessions at school (and probably giving up a few Saturdays too).

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Wait, my kid plays with LEGO all the time!” – this could be something to explore. Many UK schools take part in the FIRST LEGO League, and there are local events held each year. It’s not just for tech geniuses either – it’s for kids who love solving problems, being creative, and working as a team.

These nine Yorkshire students have shown what’s possible with a box of bricks, a smart idea, and a good bit of teamwork. Now they’re about to fly the flag for the UK in front of a global audience.

And let’s be honest – how many school projects end with a trip to Florida?