The final of the 2026 competition took place at Burlington House on 19 March. In this year’s final challenge, teams were tasked creating a proposal for a tunnelling project to provide a new theme park with water. The fictional ‘Burlingtopia’ aspired to be a world-class theme park in the UK, but before it could be granted a license to operate, it needed to safely and sustainably construct a utilities tunnel to bring water from a source to the park to sustain the supply. The students needed to evaluate the sustainability of different water sources, the cost and time of using their chosen tunnelling method and prepare an ESG strategy for the local area.
We are delighted to announce that the winners of the 2026 Schools Geology Challenge were Sheffield High School for Girls! The team presented an impressive project proposal, taking home a prized trophy, a stunning blue agate, and £500 to put towards supporting geoscience education in their school. Runners up this year were Caistor Grammar School and West Kirby Grammar School, who won £200 each.
The Schools Geology Challenge is a competition where students showcase their interest in geology, learn more about the way geoscience impacts our lives, and put their teamwork and presentation skills to the test!
First prize includes the coveted Schools Geology Challenge Trophy, £500 to use towards geoscience education at school, a year’s Student Membership with the Geological Society plus a certificate. The two runners-up will each receive £200 to use towards geoscience education at school and a certificate.
Participants don’t have to study geology to enter – the competition is open to any interested students who are currently studying geology, geography or science A levels (England/Wales/Northern Ireland), or Advanced Highers (Scotland).
Feel free to download this helpful PowerPoint presentation which will help teachers to easily explain/promote the competition to students.
Also known as ‘geoscience’ or ‘Earth science’, geology is the study of the structure, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and its natural resources. Geology investigates the processes that have shaped the Earth through its 4500 million year history and uses the rocks, minerals and fossils to unravel that history. It is concerned with the real world beyond the laboratory and has direct relevance to the needs of society. Geology tells us about the composition, structure, processes, and history of all planets - even those in outer space!
The competition runs in two stages: the Qualifiers and the Final.
In order to enter the competition, students need to make a submission to the Qualifiers via our online entry form. Their submission should fit the competition brief, and be uploaded via the online form. Only ONE entry per team is permitted. Entries will be marked by a panel of judges.
The 10 highest-scoring entries will be invited to the Final, where they will complete a problem-solving challenge in their teams. The Final takes place in-person at Burlington House along London's iconic Piccadilly. Reimbursement for travel costs of up to £700 will be made available.
For full details on how to enter, please see the competition rules.
For the Qualifiers, we would like you to:
1. Choose a geoscience topic.
2. Present that topic for an online audience.
3. Submit your entry via the online entry form
Submissions will be judged according to: scientific content and accuracy (50%), how effectively the topic is communicated to the audience (25%), creativity (25%)
For more detailed information, please check out the competition brief.
The final will involve a problem solving activity about geology and its real world applications. The activity will be explained at the final, but students will be testing their analytic and teamwork skills, and presenting to a panel of judges.
See Finals Terms & Conditions for important information regarding attendance and participation at the Finals.
The competition gives pupils the chance to explore a geoscience topic for themselves, and present it in an interesting way. Those who make it to the Final will be able to meet peers with an interest in Geology, professionals who currently work in geoscience careers, and gain valuable problem-solving skills whilst learning about the ways geology weaves into our everyday lives. Of course, there are also some amazing prizes up for grabs!
Check out some of our previous competition entries below!
Please note that previous entries to the qualifiers allowed for 6 minute videos, from the 2026 competition onwards video entries are limited to 3 minutes.
Visit our YouTube channel to access more video entries, or why not take a look at our Scientific Themes for further inspiration?
Fancy tackling the finalists' problem-solving conundrum? Download our Teacher Resource Packs from previous years using the links below to run the activity in your classroom!
If you have any questions about the competition or would like to sign up to updates, please fill out our online form
You can also keep updated on further competitions and education news from the Geological Society by signing up to our Schools Affiliates Scheme.