Lincolnshire Agricultural Society Schools’ Challenge 2026 Celebrates Record Participation

FCC Environment Lincolnshire was proud to sponsor and support the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society’s Schools’ Challenge once again in 2026, as the event returned to the Lincolnshire Show with record-breaking participation and another outstanding showcase of young people’s creativity, teamwork and understanding of food, farming, and the environment.

This year’s Challenge saw 72 schools take part, with 3,127 pupils visiting the Show on 17-18^th June to present their projects across 10 challenge categories. Entries came from early years, primary, secondary, and special schools, reaching their highest level to date and continuing to grow in both reach and impact across Greater Lincolnshire.

Pupils from Bucknall Primary School on a podium holding a first-prize trophy

The Schools’ Challenge is designed to connect learning with real-world topics such as food, farming, agriculture, the local community, sustainability, and the environment, while supporting the National Curriculum and the Early Years Framework. Student-led research, creative thinking, and presentation skills are at the heart of the project, and the results once again demonstrated the enthusiasm and high standards shown by schools across the county.

Among the most popular challenges this year was Bee-utiful Gardens, which attracted the highest number of entries and was supported by Flying Flowers. Other well-received themes included Nature, Nurture, The Legacies of Lincolnshire and Growing Resilience, showing the wide range of environmental and agricultural themes that inspired schools to take part.

Pupils from St Francis Special School on a podium holding a first-prize card

As a sponsor of the Schools’ Challenge, FCC Environment Lincolnshire helped enable more schools than ever to participate, including additional support for special educational needs entries and the popular gardening challenge. The growth in entries meant that 20 judges were involved across the two days of the Show, with extra garden boxes and new trophies required to accommodate the increased number of participants.

Sally Hood, Education and Administration Manager at FCC Environment Lincolnshire, said:
“Supporting the LAS Schools’ Challenge at the 2026 Lincolnshire Show has been a real highlight. Seeing 72 schools and more than 3,000 pupils sharing their ideas on themes like pollinators, soil science, smart farming, and climate action shows just how engaged young people are with the future of our environment and local land-based industries. As a sponsor, FCC Environment is proud to help make this possible and to see so many schools using the Challenge to bring sustainability and careers to life in the classroom.”

Pupils from St Michael's Primary School on a podium holding a first-prize trophy

Feedback from schools was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the guidance, support and encouragement provided throughout the year. Teachers reported that the Challenge supported a wide range of curriculum areas, including science, geography, history, art, maths, PSHE, careers and enterprise, with many schools treating their visit as an annual trip and building the project into wider eco and sustainability work.

The Lincolnshire Showground team has confirmed that the Schools’ Challenge is now operating close to capacity, highlighting just how popular and successful the initiative has become. FCC Environment Lincolnshire is delighted to continue sponsoring a project that inspires young people, promotes sustainability, and helps to build a stronger understanding of Lincolnshire’s land-based industries and environmental future.