Two pupils from Loughborough Grammar School have been crowned national champions in a prestigious coding competition. Artin Ghadar and Shaan Sisodia, both in Year 10, achieved the top spot in the Perse Coding Team Challenge, competing against approximately 3,000 teams from across the country.
The duo secured their victory with a flawless score of 120 points, winning the Selective Schools and Clubs category. The online challenge tests participants' logic and programming abilities through a series of complex Python coding problems. As the rounds advance, the tasks become increasingly difficult, requiring teams to employ clever algorithmic thinking and effective teamwork. Artin and Shaan clinched first place on a tie-break due to using the fewest attempts to reach their winning score.
Artin, who enjoys coding independently in his spare time, expressed his delight: "We were really pleased to win the competition. We were hoping to place highly, so it felt rewarding to come out on top." Shaan, a GCSE Computer Science pupil, added: "The computing department was very supportive, Mrs Alexander especially, helping designate practice areas and providing any help needed. But a lot of the progress comes from practising independently and pushing beyond that."
Their teacher, Mrs Karen Alexander, praised the boys for inspiring other students. "This is a brilliant achievement in a very competitive national competition. Full marks alone are impressive, but to go on and win on a tie-break against some of the top schools in the country really shows their problem-solving ability, resilience and attention to detail. They are a great example to their year group and beyond, and it’s brilliant to see them inspiring younger students to get involved in coding competitions. We’re incredibly proud of them," she said.
The skills used in the competition reflect the school curriculum, focusing on breaking down large problems into smaller, manageable parts. This victory highlights the pupils' ability to apply classroom learning to challenging real-world scenarios.
