A team of school students from Kingston beat hundreds of others to qualify for the finals of the Ultimate STEM Challenge 2019.

Sion Hwang (13), Sayanen Sawmynaden (12) and Armaan Khan (13) are students at Tiffin School in Kingston.

Competing against over 250 other teams from across the UK, the talented trio won plaudits from the Challenge judges for their incredible design to revolutionize landfill.

The Ultimate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Challenge 2019 asked school students aged 11-14 to put their skills in those subjects to use by submitting an innovative design solution for an everyday problem to a panel of judges.

Sayanen, Armaan and Sion's submission wowed judges to earn them a place in the final, which is taking place on Monday (May 13) at the Science Museum in Central London.

The event forms part of an Ultimate STEM Challenge-specific Science Fair, with the winning team accepting a prize of £1,000 for their school as well as a range of Science Museum goodies in recognition of their achievements.

The team's submission was a design for a revolutionary enhanced landfill mining scheme, that "sees current landfill reclaimed and recovers valuable recyclable materials, the innovative scheme will also include the creation of a new age landfill."

Armaan said that was inspired to come up with a solution to the problem of waste after learning more about how damaging landfill can be.

"I first came up with the idea of a new-age landfill when I saw a documentary on how human waste is being collected and thrown away. I was horrified at the sight of it and immediately wished there could've been a better way.

"Then later in the documentary, it gave reasons and explanations of why landfill can be a good thing for the future...This is when I discovered STEM," Armaan said.

His fellow finalists and team members were also inspired to change the world for the better after learning about the problems associated with waste disposal.

Sayanen said: "My aim in life is to improve the modern, treacherous environment we live in and help nature thrive.

"Our idea is to mine landfill and create a new-age landfill which will contain biological bodies which will help destroy our waste. We are determined to win!"

Sion meanwhile said he "was skeptical at first" of the STEM challenge but, after being convinced of its merits, added it had been "(a) brilliant experience for me and I am so glad that we could make through to the finals."

Teachers at Tiffin School were similarly happy at the team's achievements.

Science Teacher Ms Kelly Davis said: "The BP Ultimate STEM Challenge is an extremely high-profile and a notoriously tough challenge so to have a team qualify for the finals is a magnificent achievement.

"Congratulations to the team who have worked exceptionally hard; their persistence in the face of stiff competition has been recognised by many staff and pupils, we are all extremely proud here of our students."

The Ultimate STEM Challenge is sponsored by fossil fuel company BP.

To find out more about the challenge, go to: www.stem.org.uk/enrichment/competitions-challenges/ultimate-stem-challenge