SCIENCE plays a vital role in all our lives - and two Windsor schools have just taken top honours in a competition to find scientists of the future.

Teachers and students from Dedworth Middle School and Trevelyan topped the bill when TV maths legend Johnny Ball – father of Radio 2’s new Breakfast Show host Zoe Ball – judged Colnbrook based Lakeside Energy from Waste’s (EfW) competition for up and coming scientists and technologists.

Johnny was supporting four teams of six students – as they competed in a special, 12 week competition sponsored by the Prince of Wales – and managed by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT).

During the 12 week project, each school was supported by a Lakeside or Grundon mentor as they created projects, designed and built models and an exhibition stand and made a formal presentation to the assessors.

The all-girls team from Dedworth Middle School in Smiths Lane won the prize for the Best Overall Project, as they identified ways to save energy around their school. They involved all the students in an energy survey producing thermal images which identified where energy was being wasted – while a model showed how LED lights around the building could save energy.

Pupils from Trevelyan School in saw their Plastic Fighters project chosen as the Students Choice Project, for its focus on designing a drinks dispenser to reduce the use of plastic bottles in school. This idea is currently being discussed by the Schools Parliament and the Eco Club.