Primary Engineer is an educational not-for-profit organisation founded in 2005 which aims to engage both primary and secondary school pupils and teachers with the vast and inspirational world of engineering and technology. We work with businesses and industry across the UK to help develop a future, diverse generation of engineering and technology professionals. 

With the UK facing both a short and long-term skills crisis in many sectors, the importance of early engagement with pupils has never been more acute. Research shows STEM aspirations and perceptions are formed during the primary years and have solidified by the age of fourteen. In addition, there is an increasing recognition that a more diverse talent force with a problem-finding and creative problem-solving approach will be critical if we are to successfully transition to new technologies and provide the solutions required to achieve net-zero and other global challenges. 

Primary Engineer delivers a range of programmes and competitions which enable teachers to confidently embed engineering and technology in their curriculum and, crucially, bring a real-world context into the classroom for pupils through meaningful and direct engagement with the companies and organisations that support us. 

The Primary Engineer Programmes provide meaningful links between engineering, technology and education through training primary school teachers, enabling them to deliver an engineering and technology project with pupils in the classroom. Engineering and technology professionals enhance the learning by raising awareness of the breadth of opportunities and careers that the world of engineering and technology offers with both pupils and teachers. The programme is currently delivered in 3 versions, each using the same underlying principles of developing skills but which allow a variety of outcomes. 

Complementing the Primary Engineer Programmes is our annual, UK-wide competition, Leaders Award, which is open to both primary and secondary pupils asking them “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”. Pupils interview engineering and technology professionals, identify a problem in the world and design an innovative solution. Tens of thousands of pupils take part each year, all recognised with a certificate graded by engineers and the gender split of pupil entries is 50/50. Pupils are celebrated at our regional awards events and exhibitions, with designs being selected to be developed into prototypes by our university and industry partners.   

Our other national competition is STATWARS: Climate Change Challenge, a data project that empowers and educates pupils aged 8–14 to tackle climate change using data they capture themselves. Pupils use our carbon footprint calculator to calculate their carbon footprint, then use this data to identify three changes they can make in their daily lives to help tackle climate change. 

Schools host in-class debates on their work and submit one team per class, with every pupil receiving a graded certificate and up to £5000 worth of eco-prizes available to schools who take part.