Abbots Lea School in Woolton has won a major competition organised by the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA). They beat over 300 entries from schools all over the country.

The competition was supported by Vodafone who set the brief for schools to bring the experience of shopping on the high street to people with access issues or disabilities. The amazing team of pupils from Abbot’s Lea School devised a VR game that could make shopping less overwhelming for people with autism.

Abbots Lea School is a world leader in teaching children with special educational needs. When I visited the school on Friday I spoke to the students who took part in this competition. They were immensely proud of the fact that they had turned what others may see as a disability into a strength. They used their first hand understanding of the challenges faced by people with autism to create a helpful and thoughtful virtual reality game.

Each winning school will receive a cash prize and the winning teams will attend a workshop hosted by the Challenge Partner. The students will work with tech specialists to hopefully bring their ideas to life. Very soon young people with autism may have the chance to use the game created by pupils from Abbots Lea school. A wonderful achievement.