This year, 40 schools across Northamptonshire were invited to take part in the annual County Schools Challenge - a “Dragons’ Den” style contest run by Northamptonshire Police in partnership with their Fire & Rescue Service and other community partners. The 2025 theme was Teen Vaping Prevention, with £2,000 on offer to bring winning ideas into production.

At CBA, PCSO Steve Coles visited the school to inspire the students, who then divided into teams and developed their business concepts during PSHE lessons. The competition was tough even within CBA, as Year 9 students produced innovative ideas aimed at preventing vaping amongst teenagers. The seven school finalists showcased outstanding concepts, including flavoured chew sticks, educational games, vaping-free alternatives and bold, creative awareness campaigns. Two members of the police selected the school finalists.

One Year 9 team truly stood out. The boys focused on celebrating the successes of students trying to quit vaping - a unique approach across all Northamptonshire schools. Inspired by the AA’s recovery model, they devised a programme featuring reward badges, stickers, and effective vaping alternatives. Equipped with custom posters warning of vaping dangers, as well as badges and stickers to reward quitting efforts, and QR codes guiding students to find help, their creativity impressed the judges immensely.

Only thirteen schools were invited to the semi-finals, so reaching this level was an incredible achievement. From there, the competition intensified as just eight teams in the whole of Northamptonshire earned the right to present live at the grand Final at Castle Theatre, Wellingborough, on Monday 30 June 2025.

Our Year 9 boys were selected to perform and impressed the judges with their presentation. Despite nerves, they performed with flair on stage, presenting their initiative to an audience of parents, teachers, and a panel of five judges drawn from the health, fire and policing sectors. They delivered a fabulous presentation, showing why their place was well-deserved amongst the eight finalists. 

We are immensely proud of our team for their vision, creativity, and courage throughout the competition. From their intense effort creating their products to confidently presenting live on stage, their journey reflects the very best of school spirit, social responsibility and real-world impact.

Congratulations to them for not only reaching the final eight but for wowing the judges with an inspiring, action-driven solution to a key teenage health challenge.