CHILDREN are being given the opportunity to make robots to encourage them to study science and maths.

Chase High School in Westcliff has started the robotics club, and now wants to encourage more girls to join it.

Science teacher at the school, Mark Byford, runs the weekly club after school, and hopes more of the youngsters - especially girls - will be encouraged to take up science, technology, engineering and maths, known as STEM subjects.

Mr Byford said: “I think girls do need a little push to get involved, which is often a confidence thing.

“But when they do come along, they will often see they can do it and it’s a positive cycle.

“The robotics club was my idea to encourage problem solving skills.

“That is what the workforce needs more than anything at the moment because technology is changing so rapidly.

“If someone can problem solve, they will be an asset to any company.

“The girls that come along do really well and also they enjoy it.”

Mr Byford said he takes particular pride in the school’s success in the Faraday Challenge, which sees teams of youngsters compete against one another to see who can design, create and promote the best solution to a given challenge.

Over the summer holidays, he took a team of Year Eight students to London to compete against 25 other schools in the regional finals of the design competition.

He was thrilled when the Chase students won the Innovation Award.

The female students studying the subjects and taking part in the robotics club at the school said the enjoy it.

Tuesday Attwood, 13, said: “I’ve been coming to robotics club for two years.

“I’ve been working on my current project for about three months.

“It does keep breaking, but you figure it out.

“It’s very stereotypical to say that girls can’t do this kind of thing and it’s not true because we all can do it.”