Our News from the School

Each year pupils and staff achieve wonderful things that it is great to share with the Old Peterite Community. Various lockdowns, and changes to the School routine haven’t deterred us. Here are just a few highlights from the School Year:

We are absolutely delighted to announce that St Peter’s pupil, Rachael, has accepted an offer to study clarinet and saxophone at the Royal Northern College of Music for September 2022, following auditions in December 2021. Rachael has been at St Peter’s since the age of nine and has developed into a highly accomplished soloist and ensemble player.

Congratulations to both Toby and Finlay who have qualified for the short course British Nationals in swimming. Toby in 5 events (100 IM, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 backstroke and 50 butterfly) and Finlay in 1 (400 IM). They will be representing York City Baths Club where they train 7 times a week as well as their school swimming commitments. Toby has also earnt himself a scholarship as an athlete starting in August 2022 at DI Canisius in Buffalo, NY. This is a testament to years of hard work and dedication, and we wish him the best of luck.

Fifth Form pupil Ava has won an international film award for her original film ‘Beth’. Ava was invited to New York as her film ‘Beth’ had been nominated for best film at the AllAmerican High School Film Festival. The Film Festival, which took place from 8-10 October, is the largest film competition in the USA for school students. Out of 2,500 films, Ava’s film ‘Beth’ won Best International Film. She was also nominated for Best Director, Best Drama and Best Overall Film.

Ava also created a short 3-minute film with local neighbours after the first lockdown in 2020. The micro-short film ‘Players’ has earned Ava a global reputation. It has been screened at 17 Festivals in around 10 countries and has won numerous awards, including Best Young Filmmaker at the Bafta-qualifying Bolton Festival and Audience Choice at the Marcellus Movie Festival, New York. The film has also resulted in Ava being one of just five people shortlisted for the IMDb new Filmmaker Award 2020. She is the youngest ever person to be shortlisted in the history of this global and very prestigious award.

Three pupils from St Peter’s School reached the Grand Final of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition in 2021. Third Form pupils Victoria, Eliyah and Evie became Regional Champions following the regional round of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition on Friday 19th March 2021. The regional round, which was hosted online via Zoom, featured six teams including two teams from St Peter’s School, and teams from schools across the North East.

A Lower Sixth Form pupil has been awarded second place in The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom’s Essay Writing Competition. Justin submitted his essay in February 2021 with the focus on ‘Does the law do enough to balance the right to religious freedom against the possibility of unjustified discrimination?’

Justin developed a clear thesis focused on two relevant Supreme Court cases, Bull v Hall and Lee v Ashers Baking Company, and his essay was judged by the Judicial Assistants who work at the Court. Justin was commended for his well-structured essay and clear writing style. The judges were impressed by his strong understanding of the Court’s reasoning in both cases, and his explanation of the basis for the two, initially seemingly conflicting, decisions.

Over the past two years, Katie (Fourth Form) has helped to train, Alba, a golden Labrador, to be a hearing dog for deaf people. Alba has passed all her exams and is now an official Assistance Dog! Alba passed her exams with flying colours and has been nominated to become a child’s dog, which has very stringent guidelines, so Katie and her family are doubly proud. Alba will go to an 11-year-old boy who is profoundly deaf.

Following their success in the North Yorkshire County Final in early May 2021, the Young Enterprise Group were crowned the North East and Yorkshire & Humber regional winners on Tuesday 25 May and represented the region in the UK finals in June. The pupils were awarded the Innovation and Technology Award in the National Finals and progressed to the European Finals after achevieing third place in the UK round of the competition. The pupils launched Caring Through Cooking last September and the business has gone from strength to strength. The social enterprise seeks to bring generations together, with a cookbook designed to enable families of people affected by Dementiarelated diseases to participate in the simple act of cooking

In October 2021 we said farewell to Gordon Gatenby, a muchloved and long-standing Groundsman at St Peter’s School, who started at St Peter’s in 1985. We wish him a long and happy retirement.

Five children from St Peter’s School, York, have secured places in the prestigious National Children’s Orchestra (NCO). Ethan and Tristan from St Peter’s 8-13 will join Fred, Danny and Ethan from St Peter’s 13-18 in the NCO, the only orchestral learning programme for younger children across the UK. The National Children’s Orchestra aims to give children an experience of the joy of orchestral playing and to help them realise their full potential. NCO currently comprises of over 700 children aged 7-14 years old, and places are highly sought after.

You can follow our School News on the website www.stpetersyork.org.uk or following St Peter’s School, York on Social Media.