Music

St Swithun’s music scholar wins double award

St Swithun’s student Emma Pearce (pictured above) has won the Sturge Trophy for the best solo musical performance from an under 14-year-old in the woodwind section at the Portsmouth Music Festival. She also won the Karen Cup for the best overall performance in the woodwind category. 

The Karen Cup is awarded for the demonstration of musicianship and versatility across a number of classes and genres. Awarding Emma the prize, adjudicator Keith Allen commented that, “Emma was the most musical throughout. She is very talented and was born to play the alto sax.” 

Headmistress of St Swithun’s School, Jane Gandee, said, “Emma is an immensely talented musician who has charmed us with her performances at school recitals. After all of her hard work in the past year, this success is well deserved.” 

Sport

Successful round for Rydal Penrhos golf star

A talented Golf Academy star at Rydal Penrhos has secured three notable honours ahead of his international appearance.

Reuben Bather, a Year 10 pupil at Rydal Penrhos, has added to his series of recent accolades at the ISGA Northern Open competition, which was held at Fleetwood Golf Club earlier this month. The 14-year-old was in brilliant form once again to produce a one-under-par score of 71, which managed to secure first place in his age category. This also resulted in a third placed finish overall in a field that consisted of U18 and college-level golfers, which further highlights his immense promise in the sport.

The one handicapper has now been invited to represent the school in the David Quinn Invitational tournament in September, where he will play against the very best junior golfers in the country. 

STEM

Loughborough pupils are on the case 

Two pupils from Loughborough High School have been named winners of The Innovation Award by Network Rail at the Big Bang Competition 2018, after designing a phone case and app capable of providing some protection to people in dangerous situations.

Year 11 students Meeram Ibrahim and Grace Johnston, who worked together as Team SafeCase, 

were recognised for their innovative thinking and collaboration in developing the device, which has an in-built pepper spray and can send SOS messages to call for help in an emergency.

Daljit Kaur, Head of STEM Innovation at Loughborough Grammar School, said, “The success of the teams at this year’s Big Bang Fair is testament to the collaborative work across the Loughborough Endowed Schools Foundation as well as the efforts of the pupils, who have sacrificed hours of their own time over lunchtimes and evenings to complete their projects.”