Competitions
We hold a range of competitions for students throughout the year, including our flagship annual TEXPO where students from local schools showcase their work and compete for prizes, and other projects and online activities. Find out more and enter here.

Today, modern society suffers many forms of pollution, litter in our streets, fumes in our towns and plastic waste in the oceans.
CSES hopes to encourage the young people of Essex to become aware of the (mainly human) activities which result in this pollution and IMAGINE! ways in which the pollution can be reduced or eliminated, or circumventions can be put in place to reduce the risk to the environment or human health.
This first of several challenges invites pupils currently in Years 6 or 7, individually or in teams of up to four (please check Covid tier rules for your area before planning a team venture) to investigate the risks posed to people just by walking to school or through a particular area of their Town Centre.
Please register here if you would like to enter this competition.

A visual celebration of Science and Engineering in Essex
Thank you to everyone who entered our inaugural Photographic Competition, and congratulations to our winners, listed below.
Visit our web gallery to see all the photos entered.
We have produced a special CSES Centenary Calendar containing the winning and a selection of shortlisted photos, which is available to purchase through the website (see link).

Results of our inaugural Imagine! STEM @ Home competition
Thank you to everyone who took part in our Imagine! STEM @ Home Bridge Building Competition. We were bowled over by the number, quality and diversity of entries received!
Deadline extended until 31 October!
For our centenary year, 2020, we have worked with Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council to celebrate Essex 2020 – a year of Science and Creativity – with hundreds of events being organised by a range of organisations and people.
This county-wide STEAM festival is putting the creative arts into STEM, and as part of this CSES is running a Centenary Photographic Competition open to primary and secondary students in Essex.
A visual celebration of Science and Engineering in Essex
We want you to take and submit photographs which capture what is unique or special about science and technology from across our amazing county. From the longest pier in the world and the birthplace of radio, to Nobel prize winners, companies that put image sensors into space and much, much more...
Due to the COVID-19 situation we will unfortunately be unable to hold the CSES Schools' Competition this year.
If you were thinking of entering, we will gladly allow entries from this year to be presented next year. We'll announce the details once confirmed.
Thank you for your understanding, and the very best wishes for the coming months. Stay safe!
Congratulations to everyone who won an award at the 2019 Schools' Competition, which took place on Friday 28 June 2019 at Anglia Ruskin University.
- The Schools' Competition 2019 is now open
- Save the date: Schools' Competition 2019
- 2018 Competition results
- The Schools' Competition 2018 is now open
- Schools' Competition 2018: save the date...
- 2017 Competition results
- Now open: 2017 Schools' Competition and Big Bang Eastern
- Save the date for the 2017 Schools' Competition and Big Bang Eastern
- 2016 Competition results
- Schools' Competition 2016: enter now