UPFRON T / NEWS
Authors MG Leonard, Katherine Woodfine, Ross Welford, Martyn Ford, Horatio Clare.
B O O K AWA R D S Cranleigh School in Surrey has hosted its inaugural Awesome Book Awards prize-giving, in which Ross Welford won the top prize for his children’s novel Time Travelling with a Hamster. Kate Schutte, Cranleigh prep school’s head of English, came up with the idea. “It’s fantastic for younger children to see how these kind of awards work and for authors to get the recognition they deserve,” she said.
“It’s fantastic for authors to get the recognition they deserve”
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IN THE SWIM
App-solute success at Abingdon School: last term, two lower sixth formers Adriano Matousek and Aravind Prabhakaran were shortlisted for the VAFTA Young Game Designers competition for their game apps. Aravind and Adriano learnt to code in their spare time using blogs and videos. Adriano, 17, explained: “I became interested in game design because I was curious as to how games were made.” Both boys would like to go on to study computer science at university.
A team from Wellington College have completed a swim across the English Channel. After seven weeks of cold-water training, the team of boys and girls from the third and fourth form set off from Dover at dawn. Swimming through the day, the team fought strong tides, arriving on the French coast after 13 hours and 36 minutes.
GROUND FORCE Millfield groundsman Colin Ashman, who has worked for the school for over 25 years, has achieved an A grade in his AS English literature course. Encouraged by Millfield teachers Caroline Burn and Lindsey Hale, Ashman pursued his passion for literature through homework set by the teachers. He joined lower -sixth puils to attend evening revision sessions, and sat his exams alongside the pupils. He said: “I want to thank all the teachers and staff that have gone out of their way to help me achieve this personal goal.”
“A thrilling exhibiton that will include original material from JK Rowling's archives” Magic moment A new exhibition Harry Potter: The History of Magic opens at the British Library on 20 October this year. It will showcase a display of wizarding books, manuscripts and magical objects plus material from JK Rowling's personal archive. A phoenix rising from the ashes in a 13th-century bestiary. Inset: A dragon in a 15th-century herbal © British Library
NEW BUILD Blackheath High School will hold a Topping Out ceremony in October, a significant milestone in the school's multi-million pound redevelopment. CEO of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) Cheryl Giovannoni will speak at the ceremony. The redevelopment is a major investment by the GDST and will see a new Sixth Form Centre and Art/DT wing.
DUTY CALLS Blundells School in Devon is celebrating having four pupils, two current pupils, and two recent leavers, having been called up for national selection in rugby, rugby sevens, cricket and hockey.
JUDO SUCCESS Following success in senior competitions over the summer, Repton School sixth former Jess Richardson has now placed ninth in the UK judo senior ladies ranking lists. Jess has also been awarded a place within the England Judo Academy, a training provision aimed at upcoming talents.
SOMETHING THEY SAID
“Creativity is the future. This is thrilling and ignored by an education system that rewards only children who can parrot the answer to everything. Creativity isn’t about the right answer. It’s about the answer that is most interesting. What chance does it stand?” INDIA KNIGHT
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