This past weekend, the talented young engineers of Team 5876A Abbotsleigh Junior travelled to Adelaide to compete at the VEX Robotics Australian National Championships—and what an inspiring performance they delivered.
For many of these students, this was their very first competitive robotics season. Yet over the past few months, they have shown remarkable growth as they learned how to work under pressure, adapt to challenges, and collaborate as a unified team. Nationals became the perfect opportunity for them to demonstrate these skills in front of hundreds of spectators, teachers, and some of the top robotics teams in the country.
A Season of Resilience
One of the most impressive aspects of the Abbotsleigh team’s journey has been their resilience. Robotics is full of moments where things don’t go to plan: mechanisms jam, code behaves unpredictably, and matches require quick strategic decisions. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, the girls learned to push through these challenges with patience, teamwork, and problem-solving.
The girls were so determined to make the most of the event, that they brought an entire field into their hotel to train through the night before the tournament.
This mindset is exactly what robotics education is meant to cultivate. It teaches students that setbacks aren’t failures—they’re opportunities to strengthen their skills, improve their designs, and become more capable thinkers.
By Nationals, the girls had developed the confidence to troubleshoot calmly, support each other, and think strategically during matches. That level of maturity is something to be truly proud of.
Innovation Recognised on a National Level
The team finished a solid rank 23 out of 55 teams from across Australia—an excellent result for a first-year group.
But even more exciting was their achievement in winning the Innovate Award, a trophy given to teams who demonstrate creative engineering solutions. Abbotsleigh’s students impressed the judges with their clever split claw mechanism, designed to allow the robot to multitask efficiently during gameplay.
Innovation awards like this recognise not just a clever idea, but the engineering thought process behind it—planning, testing, refining, and understanding how design choices affect performance. These are invaluable STEM skills, especially for students in primary school who are just beginning their journey into engineering and technology.
Building STEM Skills That Last
The Abbotsleigh Junior robotics program continues to show what young students can accomplish when given the opportunity to explore, design, and think boldly. Through robotics, these students are developing:
-
Resilience – pushing through challenges and setbacks
-
Innovation – experimenting with new ideas and creative designs
-
Teamwork – communicating, collaborating, and supporting peers
-
Problem-solving – thinking critically under pressure
-
Confidence – presenting their work and trusting their abilities
These are not just robotics skills—they are life skills that prepare students for future STEM learning and leadership opportunities.
Looking Ahead
We are incredibly proud of the girls from 5876A for their achievements this season. They have set a strong foundation for future Abbotsleigh Junior robotics teams, and we are excited to continue guiding them as they grow in confidence, creativity, and technical capability.
Congratulations to the team—and thank you to Abbotsleigh staff for supporting a program that empowers young girls to become innovators.