STUDENTS from two Stroud schools narrowly missed out on a prestigious title after they teamed up for the annual Kielder Challenge last week.

The eight youngsters, with and without disabilities, came from St Rose's and Thomas Keble School and took part in the outdoor problem solving competition.

The team was placed third in the final and despite not winning, the team won the Fieldfare Shield which is awarded to the team that entered fully into the spirit of the final and integrated well with other teams, staff and volunteers.

Gaining a place in the final of the national competition was a major achievement in itself. The team was one of only six to make it through.

To gain a place in the final they had to beat off stiff competition from more than 180 teams that competed in the regional heats earlier this year.

At the final, the team had to work together to solve six physically and mentally testing activities.

All the tasks are designed to include every member of the team, which should include at least four disabled team members, two of whom should be wheelchair users.

The challenge takes place in the Kielder Forest in Northumberland and is managed by the Fieldfare Trust, a national charity that promotes access to the countryside and environmental education for disabled people. The trust's Rod Holmes was very impressed with the schools' performance.

"During the final, the points are awarded for teamwork, communication and ingenuity and the team demonstrated these attributes excellently," he said.

"They were a very enthusiastic team, who fully embraced the philosophy of the Challenge, which is to have fun while overcoming testing problems in a rugged environment."