Turbo Tamarins
Year 7 FIRST LEGO League team representing Austen House.
10 students ·
FIRST LEGO League · Year 7 · Monday Lunchtime
AirBourne Robotics
Six house teams. 60 students. One launchpad into BSG Robotics.
AirBourne is BSG Robotics’ Year 7 FIRST LEGO League programme. In 2026–27, 60 students compete across six 10-student house teams, building and coding autonomous LEGO robots, developing an Innovation Project and working together through the BIOGLOW season.
2026–27: Full Launch
Six fully subscribed house teams, weekly mentoring, an interhouse league and two places at the regional FIRST LEGO League event.
6FIRST LEGO League house teams
60Year 7 Core Team students
1BSG Interhouse Robotics League final
2Teams progress to the regional event
A complete Year 7 robotics programme.
AirBourne meets every Monday lunchtime in the Hall. Each house has its own 10-student team, team identity and robotics kit. Students work through the season together, supported by BSG staff and older StarBourne FIRST Tech Challenge mentors.
System 01 · What is FLL?
LEGO robots. Real engineering.
FIRST LEGO League Challenge combines an autonomous Robot Game with an Innovation Project and FIRST Core Values. Students learn by designing, coding, testing, researching, presenting and improving together.
The Challenge
AirBourne uses the SPIKE-based BIOGLOW Founders Edition. Teams programme their robot to complete autonomous missions on the competition field during two-and-a-half-minute Robot Game matches, while also developing and presenting an Innovation Project linked to the season theme.
Design and build a reliable LEGO competition robot and mission attachments.
Programme autonomous missions using movement, sensors, sequencing and logic.
Research a real-world problem and develop an Innovation Project.
Explain engineering decisions, teamwork and learning to judges and visitors.
FLL in actionAccessible LEGO robotics with a genuine competition, engineering and presentation challenge.
System 02 · The six house teams
Six teams. One school.
For the first time, every BSG house has its own FIRST LEGO League team. Each team has 10 Year 7 students and competes for its house in the AirBourne Interhouse Robotics League.
AirBourne Interhouse Robotics League
Six house teams, 60 Year 7 students and one school-wide FIRST LEGO League competition. The league culminates on 29 January 2027, with two teams progressing to the regional FIRST LEGO League event.
Glow Geckos
Year 7 FIRST LEGO League team representing Curie House.
10 students ·
Plasma Puffins
Year 7 FIRST LEGO League team representing Franklin House.
10 students ·
Atomic Aye-Ayes
Year 7 FIRST LEGO League team representing Parks House.
10 students ·
Cosmic Koalas
Year 7 FIRST LEGO League team representing Rossetti House.
10 students ·
Sonic Stingrays
Year 7 FIRST LEGO League team representing Shelley House.
10 students ·
3
StarBourne teams mentoring AirBourne
BSG’s three FIRST Tech Challenge teams each support two AirBourne teams. Older students provide weekly mentoring through a rota, creating a visible progression from Year 7 FLL into StarBourne FTC in Years 8–10.
System 03 · 2026–27 season
FIRST CANOPY. BIOGLOW.
The 2026–27 FIRST CANOPY season is biodiversity-themed. In BIOGLOW, students explore the vibrancy of ecosystems and apply STEM thinking through robot missions, research, creativity and teamwork.
FIRST CANOPY
FIRST CANOPY connects the 2026–27 FIRST programmes through biodiversity, ecosystems, interdependence and the role STEM can play in understanding and supporting life on Earth.
BIOGLOW
BIOGLOW is the 2026–27 FIRST LEGO League challenge. AirBourne teams use the SPIKE-based Founders Edition to tackle autonomous Robot Game missions and the season Innovation Project.
BiodiversityEcosystemsAutonomous missionsInnovation ProjectCore Values
Launch
All six teams meet, discover their house identity, explore BIOGLOW and begin building the mission models and competition field.
10 September 2026Prototype
Students build mechanisms, test attachments, compare mission routes and learn quickly from ideas that do not yet work.
Autumn termBuild & code
Teams refine their robot, attachments and autonomous programs while developing their Innovation Project and judging presentation.
Weekly MondaysInterhouse
All six house teams compete in BSG’s AirBourne Interhouse Robotics League Competition.
29 January 2027Regional
Two AirBourne teams earn the opportunity to represent BSG at the regional FIRST LEGO League competition at Beaulieu Motor Museum.
25 February 2027
System 04 · Competition pathway
Build at school. Compete beyond it.
AirBourne Launch
All 60 Core Team students come together for the first time, meet their teammates and older mentors, discover BIOGLOW and begin the build season.
Interhouse Robotics League
Turbo Tamarins, Glow Geckos, Plasma Puffins, Atomic Aye-Ayes, Cosmic Koalas and Sonic Stingrays compete for their houses in BSG’s own FLL competition.
Regional FIRST LEGO League
Two AirBourne teams earn the opportunity to represent BSG at the regional FIRST LEGO League competition.
Weekly Build Sessions
Teams build, code, test, research and practise with support from BSG staff and rotating StarBourne FTC student mentors.
System 05 · The Challenge
Three strands. One team.
AirBourne is deliberately broader than robot building. Success comes from combining engineering, programming, research, communication and the FIRST Core Values.
Robot Game
Build and codeStudents design LEGO robots and attachments, then programme reliable autonomous mission runs using movement, sensors, sequencing and testing.
Innovation Project
Research and ideasStudents explore the BIOGLOW theme, identify a real-world problem and develop a creative solution they can explain and present.
Core Values
Teamwork and confidenceTeams practise collaboration, inclusion, resilience, discovery and communication throughout their engineering and project work.
System 06 · Team moments
A gallery of FLL memories.
Building, testing, coding, presenting and competing: AirBourne gives Year 7 students a first season full of visible progress.
System 07 · How students contribute
Build. Code. Research. Present.
There is a meaningful role for different strengths: mechanisms, programming, mission strategy, scientific thinking, creativity, communication and teamwork.
Mechanical
Students design LEGO mechanisms, build attachments, improve reliability and learn how physical design choices affect mission performance.
Control
Students programme autonomous movement, use sensors, test mission routes and debug code through practical iteration.
Impact
Students research the season theme, develop the Innovation Project and prepare clear team explanations and presentations.
System 08 · Student skills
The robot is the challenge. The growth is the point.
AirBourne develops practical STEM skills alongside confidence, communication and the ability to work productively as part of a team.
Design
Mechanisms, prototyping, testing, trade-offs and iteration.
Coding
Autonomous movement, sensors, sequencing, debugging and logic.
Strategy
Mission selection, route planning, reliability, timing and scoring choices.
Judging
Explaining engineering decisions, project thinking and teamwork clearly.
Leadership
Roles, deadlines, communication, collaboration and taking responsibility for the team.
More than the robotFIRST LEGO League rewards the full journey: engineering, innovation, teamwork and robot performance.
System 09 · Judging and reflection
Explain the thinking.
Students do not simply produce a robot. They need to explain how their design evolved, what they learned from testing, how their Innovation Project developed and how they worked together.
Engineering Notebooks and team records help students capture their ideas and progress.
Judging conversations develop confident speaking and technical explanation.
Recognition can reward Robot Design, Innovation Project, Core Values and Robot Performance.
System 10 · The BSG pathway
From LEGO to industrial-scale robotics.
AirBourne is the first stage of a continuous BSG Robotics pathway: Year 7 FLL, Years 8–10 FTC and Sixth Form FRC.
AirBourne
Year 7 · 6 teams · 60 students.
FIRST LEGO League introduces robotics, coding, research, teamwork and presentation through LEGO-based engineering challenges.
StarBourne
Years 8–10 · 3 teams · 45 students.
FIRST Tech Challenge develops larger robots, mechanisms, programming, game strategy, judging and regional competition experience.
ReBourne
Sixth Form · 1 team · up to 20 students.
FIRST Robotics Competition brings industrial-scale robotics, specialist mentoring and international competition ambition.
System 11 · Partners
Support the pathway that builds the future.
AirBourne gives partners a direct way to support 60 Year 7 students taking their first serious steps into engineering, computing, biodiversity, communication and leadership through hands-on robotics.
Support equipment, replacement parts, tools, travel or competition costs.
Provide mentoring, technical feedback, visits, talks or judging practice.
Help students connect school robotics with real STEM careers.
Support a visible all-girl robotics pathway across Dorset and the South West.
Partner with AirBourneHelp us sustain six Year 7 teams and the progression into FTC and FRC.