S4 pupils – Evan Baird, Forbes Little, Lucas Whitworth and Ben Smith – will represent Scotland against teams from across the globe at the First Lego League World Robotics International competition at Worcester, Massachusetts between 13-15 June.
The fantastic four, whose team is called ‘Dunbotics’, reached the world finals after winning their regional heat in Edinburgh and coming second in the UK and Ireland finals in Harrogate, bringing their combined robotics trophy haul to a remarkable nine.
First Lego League is a global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) competition in which teams of young people compete to design, build and code a robot through the medium of Lego.
Pupils are also assessed on their core values (teamwork, fun and more), with participants required to deliver a presentation around a theme to a panel of experts, usually involving designing and engineering a solution to a problem.
The competition develops key skills that will help young people achieve their potential and ‘Dunbotics’ follow in the footsteps of other successful lego robotics teams at Dunblane High.
Tremendous achievement
Stuart MacKay, Head Teacher at the school said: “For Dunblane High to be represented in another world final is a tremendous achievement and is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the pupils as well as Mr McKenzie and Miss Tryba.
“I am very proud of the robotics opportunities at Dunblane High School, and I have no doubt that Forbes, Lucas, Ben and Evan will represent the school, Stirling Council and Scotland in a brilliantly, positive manner.”
After earning their spot in the final, the young people and their parents have been highly proactive to secure the fundraising and sponsorship to meet the significant costs of the trip.
Vital skills
Convener of Stirling Council’s Children and Young People Committee, Cllr Danny Gibson said: “Reaching an international final is a fantastic feat for the ‘Dunbotics’ team at Dunblane High and well-deserved recognition for their hard work and commitment. I would also like to acknowledge the superb support they have received from staff, parents and the wider school community.
“This competition is a wonderful way to inspire learning and creativity in STEM subjects which equips our young people with vital skills for the world of work and other aspects of life.
“On behalf of Stirling Council, I would like to wish Evan, Forbes, Lucas and Ben all the best in the final in Massachusetts and hopefully they can bring the trophy home to Stirling and Scotland.”
At the recent UK Final in Harrogate, Dunblane High was also represented by the S1 'Team Hyperdrive' who also secured 2nd place and a trophy for their 'Core Values', while Mr McKenzie was awarded 'UK Coach of the Year Trophy' 2025.
This initiative has been led at the school by Mr McKenzie since 2025 and the team has also benefited from the support of Miss Tryba this year as the school had four teams participate in the competitions.