Year 12 pupils claim national innovation award
A standout project on smart bandages which aid chronic wound healing for dogs has secured Harrogate Ladies’ College (Duchy College from September 2026) national award recognition at Friday’s TeenTech Awards Finals in London.
Sophia Lo, India Thomas and Smilla Meister (not pictured) won Best Research (Year 12-13) at the TeenTech Award Finals in London.
Sophia Lo, Smilla Meister and India Thomas’ project, PetMedD, gained outstanding feedback from the TeenTech judges as they won the Best Research category Years (12-13).
This was a confident submission that demonstrated strong skills, technical capability and thoughtful design. The team has identified a clear, real-world problem and responded with a carefully thought-through solution that balances technical ambition with strong empathy for animal welfare and owner stress
TeenTech judge feedback on PetMedD
All three teams the school entered were named finalists in 2026, with PetMedD the only Yorkshire team to win their category in the TeenTech Finals.
It was an incredible experience and we were so excited to win our final. Every single project there was well researched and of a high level, so to go home with the trophy is a fantastic feeling. I am so proud of all three teams, we put in so much effort and had incredible support from the school.
PetMedD team member, India Thomas
Joining PetMedD at the TeenTech Finals were Ruby and Harriet with their project on regenerated methane panels and Reewa, Eunice and Ryanna, who researched improving living conditions in Sub-Saharan African countries.
Three teams represented Harrogate Ladies’ College at the recent TeenTech finals in London.
The projects focus on ethical innovation and research, highlighting issues and providing creative and sustainable solutions to issues facing society.
52% of the school’s university applications were in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) courses in 2026, double the national average of female applications in 2025.