WOULD-BE engineers will battle it out tomorrow as a school hall is transformed into a mini-watersports arena.

Year eight pupils at Tanfield School, near Stanley, are taking part in a challenge to design and build their own boats, and then race them along a three-metre course.

The fibreglass hulls have been supplied by a plastics firm, Lamplas, which is based in Consett.

The 91-year-old school last year became only the third education centre in the UK to achieve combined specialist status for science and engineering.

As part of this, it has to involve the wider community and offer help to the surrounding primary schools.

Four teams of ten year five pupils from its feeder schools will work with the Tanfield students on the boat race challenge.

Richard Seaton, Tanfield's science and engineering co-ordinator, said: "This event is about bringing the whole community together.

"Hopefully, it will raise people's awareness of what we have achieved, and they can have a little bit of fun at the same time."

To coincide with the event, the school is holding a non-uniform day.

In keeping with the theme, the proceeds will go to charity Water Aid, which provides clean drinking water for communities in developing countries.