ONE of East Lancashire's smallest schools is taking on the big boys in the final of a national engineering competition.

St Joseph's RC Primary School, Hurst Green, is among a trio of schools from the area competing in the final of the national Primary Engineer Project at the Eureka Centre, in Halifax, tomorrow.

The project tests the technical initiative of children in Key Stage 1 and 2 across the country.

Children were presented with the challenge of making a small four- wheel vehicle that could climb a ramp.

Along with Our Lady and St Hubert's RC Primary School, Great Harwood, and Lower Darwen Primary School, St Joseph's is hoping its bright sparks will claim the national prize when they compete among six finalists.

Linda Wilkinson, headteacher at St Joseph's, said the children's achievement in creating the model 4X4 police car is even more notable because they have only 48 pupils, compared to Lower Darwen, which has more than 200. The Hurst Green team, made up of Jodie Walsh, 11, and 10-year-old Jordan Davies, have been helped by Mrs Wilkinson and part-time teacher Nancy Bailey, who attended training courses to help pupils with the models.

Mrs Wilkinson said: "We are very proud because other schools are three, or four, times bigger. Jordan has especially benefited because he's quite a quiet child. They've loved it and it's made them really confident."

The competition is run by Great Harwood company Primary Engineer Ltd, a non-profit organisation that aims to promote the design and technology part of the syllabus.