A group of six Ratcliffe College Year 9 Physics students won the ‘Students’ Favourite Project’ award in the 
science and engineering competition ‘Go4SET’, a nationwide scheme designed to get students involved with engineering projects.
The triumphant students were Charlie Nicholson, Christian Waters, Daniel Warwick, Harry Chaloner, Katie Winston and Emily Marsh. Their ‘Eco-Dome’ project was a real and live project that raised the pupils’ awareness of the importance of eco-friendly energy production.
They worked together with two professional engineers from the company ‘227 Environmental’ to form a plan to build a special dome around the new Preparatory School.
The dome utilised many ‘green’ ways of producing energy, including solar power, geothermal power and water power. The project has given the students an insight into how engineers work and the problems that they have to overcome on a daily basis.
At the Celebration Event held at Snibston Discovery Museum on Tuesday 5th February 2013, a panel made up of experienced engineers reviewed the work of students from 15 teams, including teams from schools such as Loughborough High School and Loughborough Grammar School.
The Ratcliffe College project was rated by the judges to be “marvellous” and “first-class”. The competing students from all teams were also asked to vote for their favourite project. Ratcliffe College’s team came top of this vote, and therefore the team proudly accepted the title of ‘Student’s Favourite Project’.
Headmaster, Mr Gareth Lloyd, expressed delight on behalf of the whole school: "This is a fantastic achievement by our students and we are exceptionally proud of them."