Calling all Irish Primary Schools

Can your school rise to the START Challenge?

We welcome you all to enter START Competition 2026!

Watch this short video on randomised trials!

... untin the closing date for classes to submit their trial!
Submission deadline: March 26th, 2026

What is the START Competition?

4th, 5th, and 6th class students and Teachers are invited to take part in an exciting hands-on project: creating their very own randomised trial in the classroom! Using easy-to-follow resources, students will get the chance to design and run a fun, educational trial that brings science to life.

The START Competition is more than just a classroom project—it’s an opportunity for students to think like real scientists, spark their curiosity, and discover the excitement of scientific discovery. This is where the scientists of tomorrow take their first steps today!

START 2025 Results!

1st Place

Does eating breakfast impact academic performance?

School: Trinity Primary School, Tuam, Co. Galway

Format: PDF

2nd Place

Do Specific Exercises Improve Balance?

School: Scoil Bhríge agus Bhreandáin Naofa, Corrandulla

Format: Video MP4

3rd Place

Does 15min of video games affect your concentration?

School: St Fintans BNS, Mountrah, Co. Laois

Format: PDF

How this competition can help meet key aspects of the current school’s curriculum

View Curriculum Alignment

Maths

Students will need to collect and analyse data in order to see the effects of their intervention. This will mean comparing the results of two groups of participants that are involved to see differences in their effects.

Science

A clinical trial, like any scientific experiment, requires participants to stick to a defined set of rules and procedures in order to get the best results. The project also teaches children the foundation processes around where evidence for healthcare decisions are made.

Social, Personal & Health Education (SPHE)

The START competition will help students question the choices they make around their own health and wellbeing and create a sense of personal responsibility for the everyday decisions they make. By working in a team, as a class or as a school, the students will be able to see each other’s strengths in delivering such a project.

English / Irish

The students will be challenged to explain the project to those involved; this may mean younger pupils or family members or the wider community. The final presentation of the project findings will require students to compile the findings in a clear and concise way.

Visual arts

There are no restrictions in the format for which the findings can be presented. Students are encouraged to be creative and use any format they wish.

Physical Education

Children can design trials exploring how physical activities impact health and fitness, fostering teamwork and physical engagement.

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“This project has changed teaching and learning to real life experiences and engagement with the community through newsletters and local radio. The gain has far outweighed any effort in school”.
Ellen CostiganDuleek G.N.S., Co. Meath

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“Boosted confidence, given them memories that will last a lifetime and allowed them to reach for the stars”.
Conan ByrneHoly Family, S.N.S., Co. Dublin

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“Thinking outside the box is what I liked most”
Child Competition 2024Co Clare

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“We learnt a huge amount from our work and I have to say, projects like this bring back a love of learning to the classroom and to the teacher, in an era of instability and anxiety, so thank you all for that.”
Evanna CharltonErrew NS, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

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"The competition was a great way to engage pupils in scientific thinking and helped them experience first-hand how research and data collection can be applied to real-life questions"
Rachel LivelyScoil Bhríge agus Bhreandáin Naofa, Corrandulla, Co. Galway

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“As a class teacher in a DEIS Band 1 school, where our students face significant social and economic challenges, I was so impressed by the impact this cross-curricular project had on my class. The hands on approach not only engaged every student, but also provided them with a high-quality learning experience.”
Joan ByrneTrinity Primary School, Tuam, Co. Galway

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“I liked feeling like a real scientist and I liked that we were responsible for going to the junior room on our own and doing the surveys every day”
Child 2025 CompetitionCo. Clare

Curious questions, answered live!

The Meet the Scientist series is a free online webinar for 4th to 6th class children.
Each week from November to March, a real scientist answers a big question like

“How does our brain communicates to our body?” or “What lives in the deepest par of the ocean?”

From November to March, join us live on Wednesdays at 12pm or catch the replay on Fridays at 1.30pm.

Visit the Meet the Scientist website