Kent’s leading school science awards are on the clock as nominations are officially open.

Celebrating Innovation, Investigation and Invention, the KM Bright Spark Awards urge pupils to collaborate their cross-curriculum skills in science, maths, IT and engineering to create something astonishing.

One such school which has built and designed an entry is Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in Canterbury, and it sits proudly in the high street’s main shopping district.

The Water Clock on display in Whitefriars Canterbury – the former site of the school itself – was created by Year 12 students Chris Delaney, Beth McDaniel, Daniel Pledger, Tom Gillmore, Charlie Hargreaves, Christian Leggatt, Alex Manning and Oscar Crosbie-Smith. It was erected during July 2015 and has now been put forth for the Bright Sparks Awards.

Discussing the Water Clock, team member Christian Leggatt, said: “We tried to incorporate the different styles of Canterbury architecture through our design. For the more traditional themes of the city, we used Roman numerals and more classic structure of the clock hands. When reflecting a more modern Canterbury, much like Whitefrairs, we optimised newer, more resourceful materials, as well as exploiting computer technologies.”

Beth McDaniel added: “The clock is fitted with a regressive pump which is positioned in the base. This powers the water upwards at a high speed, enabling it to be recycled. This means we reduced the necessity for water sourced from the mainstream, as well as controlling any possible spillage.”

The pupils will face fellow schools for the chance to promote their project to a band of judges in the Dragon’s Den-style final staged at Discovery Park, Sandwich in July. The winning participants will receive a top prize of £500.

Lisa Craig, events manager at the KM Charity Team which organises the awards, said: “Bright Sparks enables schools to connect and compete, but most importantly, to make science cool. It is an extremely important subject which we hope to see grow in popularity. The Simon Langton Water Clock is a fabulous invention and we are looking forward to receiving more masterpieces!”

All nominations for the KM Bright Spark Awards must be received by noon on Friday, June 3.

For information, visit www.kmcharityteam.co.uk