Building the past:  Year 7s impressive castle models

History came to life as Lead Teacher for History, Mr Eccles, held his annual Year 7 Castle Competition.

The idea is to build a 3D motte and bailey castle or stone castle from any materials for a chance to win a History pin badge and an Amazon Voucher.

Mr Eccles said: “The entries were fabulous, they were the best they have been and all were superb.  Everyone seemed engaged and there was a range of ideas and different models, from using Lego to using bits found around the house.

“It was one of the hardest decisions to make but Isla was the winner. I was impressed with the level of detail, she spent a lot of time on it and there was a range of materials. Hers was a worthy winner.”

Isla said: “It took me a few weeks to make. There was a lot of paint and glue and the draw bridge was stuck upwards!

“I enjoyed doing it, staining the wood, learning about castles. I enjoy history.”

Joint second placed Sravani said: “I used lollipop sticks, noodle boxes and anything I could find at home! It was hard work keeping it all together.”

Also in second, Angel said: “It took me around two hours waiting for paint to dry and so on.”

Nathan made his castle using the school’s 3D printer while Alex based his idea on Minecraft, creating a series of pictures of the areas of the castle.

“The fence was hard to make in a circle in a game where you can only make squares!  It took around six hours and I learnt a lot about castles!”

Year 7 Castle Competition 2025