A student from Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton has been named as a finalist in the Youth Industrial Strategy Competition 2020.

13-Year-old Catherine James, took part in the national STEM competition that was asking entrants to address one of the Government's four Grand Challenges such as Clean Growth, Artificial Intelligence and data, Ageing Society and the Future of Mobility.

She decided to offer a solution that would benefit the ageing population, a Personal Assistant Dementia (PAD) app that will allow patients with early stage dementia to remain independent for as long as possible.

As a result, Catherine managed to beat 2,000 other students and is now a finalist who will compete in the Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair that takes place in Birmingham from March 11 to March 14.

Andy Brittain, physics teacher at Lady Eleanor Holles School said:“We know how much being shortlisted for the Youth Industrial Strategy Competition means to Catherine, who has dedicated so much of her time to learn more about STEM.

“The competition has provided our teachers with an opportunity to think about how we will continue to teach STEM in the classroom, and we are delighted that our teachers’ and students’ engagement with STEM has been rewarded in this way.”

The national competition asked pupils aged between 11 and 19, to find creative solutions to some of the biggest challenges that affect today's society.

She will present her idea to a panel of industry experts and celebrity judges, including Konnie Huq, former Blue Peter presenter, with first place winners in their age category, Junior, Intermediate or Senior, taking home cash prizes for themselves and their school.

The initiative has also been developed in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.