As part of the Design4SDGs Design Challenge, students from Cheam Common Junior Academy and Cheam Fields Primary Academy will pitch their solutions for the United Nations’ SDGs on the main stage of Bett UK.

Students from Sutton and Worcester Park, London, have been selected to present their innovative ideas to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on the main stage of Bett UK 2024, the world’s biggest EdTech show. Tickets for Bett UK 2024 are available online.

Bett UK will take place at London’s ExCeL Centre from 24-26 January 2024, and bring together more than 30,000 educators, innovators, and changemakers from around the globe looking to make a genuine impact on the lives of teachers and learners.

The students, aged 9-14, were selected from 45 schools from across the UK. The Design4SDGs Design Challenge, now in its second year at Bett UK, was launched by educator and Innovation X Founder Evo Hannan, to promote big thinking and innovative ideas on a large scale, providing solutions for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Students from Cheam Fields Primary Academy in Sutton have worked on creating a usable eco area out of currently unused land. They also intend to create a curriculum to be shared globally so that others around the world can also benefit from their ideas.

Three more teams have been selected from Cheam Common Junior Academy in Worcester Park. The first has designed a game which combines elements of football and netball, in order to break down barriers in sport and encourage participation by both genders in a single sporting activity. The game’s rules are designed to foster inclusivity and teamwork, emphasising cooperation and respect for all players.

A second group from Cheam Common Junior Academy has designed a new product, which aims to tackle the issue of waste in schools in a simple but unique way. The project consists of a recycling bin that is clearly compartmentalised to accommodate different school waste materials. These pre-sorted materials and resources can then be easily reused as materials in art and design lessons.

Finally, a student from the school has designed an air filter that can be fitted on roadsides and motorways to filter out harmful exhaust emissions and overall harmful gasses from the air. The new clean air will be repurposed and used to facilitate the growth of plants and nature.

Emma Vandore, Head of Content at Bett, said:

“We are so excited to welcome such wonderfully creative children from Cheam Fields Primary Academy and Cheam Common Junior Academy to Bett UK 2024, the world’s biggest EdTech show. With so many threats facing the planet right now, the importance of the UN’s SDGs has never been more pronounced. It is inspiring to see these young people present their innovative solutions to the urgent challenges their generation will face head-on.”

Evo Hannan, founder of Innovation X, who runs the awards, said:

“I am delighted that the Design4SDGs Design Challenge is returning to Bett for a second year. Congratulations to students at Cheam Fields Primary Academy and Cheam Common Junior Academy for taking part and sharing their incredible creative ideas with the rest of us. The Design4SDGs Design Challenge aims to show how small-scale, practical solutions can lead to lasting widespread change.

“The EdTech community at Bett UK, including resource manufacturers, will benefit from sitting up and taking notice of the next generation’s evolving ideas.”

The challenge aims to drive grassroot innovation in schools across four key areas: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication. This year, students were tasked with finding a solution to one of the following SDGs:

SDG3 – Good Health & Well-being
SDG4 – Quality Education
SDG5 – Gender Equality
SDG11 – Sustainable Cities & Communities
SDG12 – Responsible Consumption & Production
SDG13 – Climate Action
The 2024 finalists are:

Challenge 1 (SDG3)

Roseacre Primary Academy and Thames Primary Academy
Old Hall School
Challenge 2 (SDG4)

Challney High School for Boys
Denbigh High School
Challenge 3 (SDG5)

Cheam Common Junior Academy
Lark Rise Academy
Challenge 4 (SDG11)

Cheam Common Junior Academy
Cheam Fields Primary Academy
Challenge 5 (SDG12)

Witton Park Academy & Bowland High
St Lawrence College (Junior School)
Challenge 6 (SDG13)

Cheam Common Junior Academy
Barrowford Primary School
Bett UK 2024 will bring together more than 30,000 stakeholders – including more than 600 innovative EdTech and resource solution providers showcasing cutting-edge and impactful products and services. Star attractions include world-renowned ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell DBE sharing her passion for promoting the arts in schools, an address by UK Secretary of State for Education Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, acclaimed documentary presenter Louis Theroux interviewing one of the most accomplished British rappers in history Loyle Carner, and fireside chats and appearances from former member of England’s national football team Alex Scott MBE, 16-year-old Indian tech prodigy and Minecraft Student Ambassador at Microsoft Namya Joshi. Attendees will also hear from one of Britain’s favourite children’s TV presenters Baroness Floella Benjamin and celebrated poet and children’s author Michael Rosen.

Bett UK 2024 promises a host of new features. This includes TableTalks – an innovative new programme of peer-to-peer roundtable discussions, connecting educators and policymakers with shared topics of interest – as well as Tech User Labs – which provide opportunities for educators to receive hands-on advice from exhibitors in getting the most out of tech, helping improve their purchasing expertise. With Bett’s brand-new digital platform Connect @ Bett, educators can identify the right EdTech solutions for their particular purchasing dilemma, and schedule one-on-one meetings with exhibitors.

Bett UK 2024 will also see the return of the show’s three flagship prizes, the Bett Awards, Kids Judge Bett, and the Design4SDGs Design Challenge.