Waid Academy students finalists in National Innovation Challenge

That this House congratulates the students of The Waid Academy on reaching the final four schools in the UK HRUC National Innovation Challenge 2026; notes that this is the second consecutive year that Waid Academy has reached the national final and that it is the only school in Scotland to have achieved this distinction in two successive years; further notes that the National Innovation Challenge is designed to inspire young people to develop innovative, sustainable solutions to real-world problems, with entries judged on innovation, features and benefits, overall impact, and future potential; recognises the exceptional achievement of Waid Academy in securing two places in the final shortlist of ten schools before progressing to the final four; commends students Anneliese Uringa and Arran Ogilvie for their project, Synthetic Tree, which aims to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into valuable carbon by-products such as graphite or diamonds; acknowledges the dedication, creativity and hard work of all the students and staff involved; also notes that the winning team will earn a trip to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston this September; and wishes the Waid Academy finalists every success at the gala awards dinner in London on 25 June.