Students from Everton Free School are celebrating after being crowned winners of the prestigious Best Engineered Crane Award at the Peel Ports Mini Hydraulic Crane Competition, held during the Mersey Maritime STEM Day at the Museum of Liverpool.

The competition challenged secondary school students from across the region to design, build and operate a floating hydraulic crane inspired by Peel Ports' own MSC Buffalo vessel. Working as part of Everton Free School's Engineering Option programme, a team of talented Year 9 students spent several weeks designing, constructing and testing a crane capable of lifting heavy loads whilst remaining stable and afloat.

The challenge required students to apply real-world engineering principles including hydraulics, buoyancy, fluid mechanics and mechanical design. Teams were tasked with constructing a floating crane that could lift 250g weights from a designated loading area and place them safely onto its own platform. To be successful, the crane then had to remain afloat for at least ten seconds while supporting the load. The winning team would be the one capable of lifting and supporting the greatest weight without sinking.

Supported throughout the project by a university engineering student mentor, Everton Free School's team demonstrated exceptional teamwork, resilience and creativity. During the design process, students encountered a number of engineering challenges, including maintaining stability, improving the hydraulic lifting mechanism and ensuring the crane could withstand increasing loads without tipping or sinking. Through extensive testing, redesigning and refining their prototype, the team developed innovative solutions that ultimately led to their success.

Their hard work paid off on competition day when their crane successfully lifted and held ten 250g weights – an impressive total of 2.5kg – whilst remaining afloat for the required time. This outstanding performance earned the team the judges' award for Best Engineered Crane.

A particular highlight of the event came when one of Everton Free School's Year 9 students confidently addressed the audience, explaining the design process, the problems encountered and the engineering solutions developed by the team. The presentation not only showcased the students' technical understanding but also demonstrated the communication skills and confidence they had developed throughout the project.

The team's achievement received high praise from event organisers and industry professionals. Following the competition, Cathriona Bourke, Partnerships and Engagement Manager at the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society, shared feedback from Mark Hubbert, Engineering Manager, who was particularly impressed by the students' approach to problem-solving.

He praised the team's willingness to experiment with multiple design solutions, the range of driver sizes they had tested and, most importantly, the depth of engineering thinking demonstrated throughout the project. He also described the students' presentation as excellent, noting how effectively it explained both the design journey and the significant challenges involved in building a successful floating hydraulic crane.

Cathriona added that the presentation helped everyone in the room appreciate the complexity of the challenge and the considerable achievement of designing a crane capable of lifting substantial loads whilst remaining buoyant and stable. She expressed how proud and delighted the organisers were with Everton Free School's success and hoped that the students fully recognised what an exceptional accomplishment it was.

The challenge itself was inspired by Peel Ports' MSC Buffalo vessel, which students were able to see alongside the historic steamship Daniel Adamson in Liverpool's Canning Dock. This connection helped bring the project to life, linking classroom engineering principles with real-world maritime operations and Liverpool's rich industrial heritage.

As part of their prize, the winning team has been invited to visit Peel Ports to gain first-hand experience of engineering operations within one of the UK's leading port operators. Students have also been offered the opportunity to visit the historic Daniel Adamson, providing a further insight into the region's maritime heritage and engineering legacy.

Speaking about the achievement, Engineering Tutor James said:

The event provided students with valuable opportunities to learn from Peel Ports engineers, naval architects and university engineering students whilst exploring careers in maritime engineering, hydraulics and mechanical design.

Congratulations to all of the students involved, our university engineering mentor and the Science and Engineering team for their hard work, commitment and innovation. This remarkable achievement highlights the growing strength of STEM education at Everton Free School and our commitment to providing meaningful opportunities that connect classroom learning with real-world careers, inspiring the next generation of engineers.