The national event brought together around 90 teams and more than 1,000 young people from across the country, with students racing karts they had designed, built and refined themselves over months of hands-on STEM learning. The day also welcomed more than 2,500 parents, volunteers, sponsors and exhibitors, creating a celebratory atmosphere around engineering, innovation and future careers.

Creative Education Trust had a strong presence at the finals, with teams from across the Trust taking part in races, design challenges and the STEM and Futures Fair. CET schools competing on the day included Abbeyfield School, The Bulwell Academy, Ellis Guilford School, Lynn Grove Academy, the Milton Keynes Academy, Thistley Hough Academy, Weavers Academy and Wrenn School and others across the race groups.

The programme gives students the opportunity to apply science, technology, engineering and maths in a real-world context by building karts from the ground up, developing practical engineering knowledge alongside communication, problem-solving, confidence and teamwork. For CET students, the finals were the culmination of months of learning, testing, problem-solving and perseverance.

Thistley Hough Academy achieved particular success, earning a Top 10 national finish and winning both the Best Livery 2026 and Team Spirit Award. Their achievements were further recognised with an extraordinary visit to Silverstone, where students received paddock passes with the Alpine Formula One Team.

The finals day also featured a STEM and Futures Fair, talks from industry speakers, and the opportunity for students to get close to a real Alpine Formula 1 car. Creative Education Trust CEO Nicole McCartney joined a panel discussion with Operations Director Ian Alpine F1, exploring the parallels between leadership in education and leadership in Formula 1.

Laura O’Shaughnessy, Head of Personal Development, described the finals as a “fantastic day”, praising the quality of the event and the enthusiasm of the students. She reflected on the way teams came together, showing “real teamwork” and “a real sense of purpose and resilience”, adding that students learned how “millimetres of precision make the difference”.

Nicole McCartney, CEO of Creative Education Trust, said:

“STEM On Track has given our students an extraordinary opportunity to see where their learning can take them. This programme is not just about building karts; it is about building confidence, ambition and possibility.

“At the National Finals, our students showed resilience, creativity and teamwork in abundance. They demonstrated the values we hold as a Trust: ambition, equity and opportunity. We are incredibly proud of every student who took part, and grateful to the teachers, mentors and partners who made this experience possible.”

Adam Sirett, Founder of STEM On Track, said:

“When we started STEM On Track, our ambition was simple: to show young people that STEM isn’t just a subject in a classroom; it’s a real, tangible skill that can take them anywhere. To see eight Creative Education Trust schools on that grid this year, and to watch students who built these karts with their own hands race them with pride, is exactly why we do this. Partnerships like ours with CET are what make this programme possible, and we cannot wait to see where these students go next.”

The STEM On Track programme forms part of Creative Education Trust’s commitment to transforming lives through education, opening doors to future careers and helping students connect classroom learning with real-world applications.

At the finals, students experienced first-hand how engineering, design, strategy and communication come together in motorsport. From troubleshooting technical issues to refining kart performance and presenting their work, teams showed the determination and creativity that STEM On Track was designed to inspire.

Creative Education Trust schools are already looking ahead to next year’s competition, with students and staff determined to build on this year’s success.