Head praises top-class effort as students pick up awards

Dozens of pupils at Pershore High School picked up awards for their achievements and commitments in the annual round of commendations.

Headteacher Clive Corbett said: "We were delighted to have Debbie Flood as the guest speaker at the awards evening. She was a real inspiration to the students and a true role model."

Miss Flood was a junior judo international and a county level 1,500-metre and cross-country runner and shot-putter before she took up rowing. Having first been told she would never be any better than an average club rower, she dedicated herself to proving her critics wrong and her international rowing career took off with a bronze in the double scull with Frances Houghton at the World Junior Rowing Championships after only a year of taking up the sport in 1997.

She has won various medals, including gold at the World Championships in 2006.

Mr Corbett said: "It was good for the students to hear her story and know they can be as successful."

Mr Corbett gave a speech at the event before the students were given certificates to mark their achievements.

"Everything that we do at Pershore High School is directed towards helping our students to become better learners - independent, confident and resilient learners who have the skills required to cope with an ever changing world," he said.

Mr Corbett said he was proud of the students at the school and was pleased to see so many receiving awards.

"It was a testament to the hard work of both students and staff at the school," he said. The school is hoping to offer more opportunities in the future and Mr Corbett said he would continue to fight for improved funding.

"It remains a scandal, and I am quoting 2005-06 figures here, that Worcestershire schools get a direct grant of £3,336.76 per pupil, well below the English average of £3,642.91," he said.

He also urged pupils to continue to perform well in exams, for their own benefit. "The future is bleak for any person without adequate qualifications," he said.

PERSHORE HIGH SCHOOL'S AWARD WINNERS

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS Pershore High School Jazz Band: Chloe Bitcon, Paul Denning, Hannah Fowler, Lois Godwin, Adam Gordon, Olivia Harbridge, Christopher Jefferies, Emily Jones, Stephen Maughan, Kate Rawlings, Rachel Sadler, Edward Surman, Rebecca Wagner, Samuel Walton, Joshua Walton, Jennifer Weaver, Jenna Wild.

Year 8 Review of the Year: Chloe Bitcon and Edward Surman.

A Short Animation: Gina Lee.

Young Enterprise: Jennifer Allan, Victoria Bamford, Reena Bhatt, Melissa Carey, Hannah Clubley, Thomas Deakin, Benjamin Harris, Andrew Marks, Eloise Scriven.

Youth Parliament: Katherine Gullick.

'The Bad Guys' from Bugsy Malone: Steven Ward, Joshua Allen, Danny Sanders, Andrew Price, Edward Surman, Ashley Millington.

Visit to the WWI battlefields: Naomi Robinson and Emily Cavell-Hill.

International activities: Molly Edwards and Adam Gordon.

Winner of the Pershore High School X-Factor Competition: Rebecca Davies.

Engineering education scheme: Giles Shaw and Ryck Williamson.

Work experience in health and social care: Nina Bush and Faye Maric.

Bar mock trial: Hannah Forrester, Chloe Bitcon, Joshua Walton, Leigh-Anne Beattie, Eleanor Morris, Alasdair Mustard, Edward Surman, Myles Weaver, Olivia Harbridge, Alexander Wagner, Joshua Johnson.

Review of Sixth Form year: Robin Laight and Katharyn Natyncuk.

The Tempest: Sam Fowles, Olivia Adams, Megan Denne, Clare Fisher, Zoe Ogden, Megan Roberts.

ART Art award in memory of Sophie McGorrigan: Gina Lee.

The Pershore High School Photography Award: Niall Green.

BUSINESS EDUCATION Outstanding effort and achievement in applied business education at Key Stage 4: Aimee Archer.

Outstanding effort and achievement in business education at Key Stage 5: Reena Bhatt.

Outstanding effort and achievement in Business Education at Key Stage 4: Sean Bagnall.

Most improved student in business education at Key Stage 5: James Marsh.

Outstanding effort and achievement in applied leisure and tourism at Key Stage 4: Jennifer Weaver.

Outstanding achievement in business education: Michelle Clarke.

DEBATING AND PUBLIC SPEAKING Eyres Monsell Debating Trophy: Isidore Sanders, Ryck Williamson.

Youth Parliament Competition National Runners-Up Award Best Opposition front bencher in the heat: Luke Gordon.

Best speaker in the heat: Ryck Williamson. Commended in the heat: Isidore Sanders.

Malvern Rotary public speaking: Henry Felton, Katherine Gullick, Fleur Homfray.

DRAMA Lifetime membership for outstanding contributions to the department throughout their school careers: Sam Fowles, Katherine Gullick, Robin Laight.

ENGLISH Outstanding achievement in English: Key Stage 3: Nathan Comber; Key Stage 4: Sian Evans; Year 13: Harriett Rea.

GEOGRAPHY Best Geographical Investigation: Harriett Rea.

Best Geographer in Key Stage 3: Katherine Green.

HISTORY Outstanding effort, achievement and improvement in GCSE history: Katherine Quinn.

Prize for A-level history: Alyson Bartlett and Hayley Chessum.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY Sixth Form award for ICT: Sarah Taylor.

ICT in the school community award: Stuart Banks.

LBS The student achievement award: Paul Collins, Jimmy Croy, Sharondeep Purewal.

MATHEMATICS Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics - Key Stage 3: Andrew Oxley; Key Stage 4: Matthew Smith; Key Stage 5: James Hubball and Andrew Griffiths.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES The Wychavon Shield for excellence in modern languages: Anna Crouchley, Hugh Griffiths.

Outstanding performance at Key Stage 3: Fiona Hartley, Andrew Price, Charlotte Ruff.

Outstanding performance at Key Stage 4: David Crouchley, Ellen Broderick.

The Peugeot Shield for progress in modern languages: Thomas Neal, Katie Pickering, Alexander Smith.

MUSIC Contribution to the musical life of the school - Year 8: Hannah Fowler, Lois Godwin, Olivia Harbridge, Kate Rawlings.

Year 9: Melissa Creese, Francesca Gordon.

Contribution to the musical life of the school throughout their school careers: Christopher Jefferies, Stephen Maughan, Samuel Walton.

PSYCHOLOGY Award for outstanding achievement: Christopher Orr.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SCHOOL SPORT Sportswoman of the year - Year 8: Katie Clasen, Beth Marler; Year 9: Ellen Smith, Cody Aldington; Year 10: Samantha Yarnold; Year 11: Victoria Barrett; Sixth Form: Harriett Rea.

Fair Play/Sportsmanship Awards - Girls Year 8: Kate Rawlings; Year 9: Molly Browne; Year 10: Jessica Dawkes; Year 11: Samantha Nicklin, Alexandra Hartley; Sixth Form: Gemma Walker.

Sportsmen of the Year - Year 8: Joshua Carr; Year 9: Alexander Smith; Year 10: Ryan Upfield; Year 11: Leon Williams; Sixth Form: Jonathan Mather.

Fair Play/Sportsmanship Awards - Boys Year 8: Samuel Shale; Year 9: Nicholas Tyler; Year 10: Ashley Burtoft; Year 11: Benjamin Bower; Sixth Form: David Clifton.

The Ben Woodcock Memorial Trophy: Alastair Burr.

Coaching Award: Helen Holah.

SCIENCE The ESA McIntosh award for outstanding achievement in science: Jennifer Bryant, Harriett Rea Award for Best Science Coursework: Hannah Train.

TECHNOLOGY: DESIGN Outstanding achievement in manufacturing: Barnaby Brooker.

Outstanding achievement in using CAD/CAM: Lawrence Shaw.

TECHNOLOGY: FOOD Outstanding achievement and effort in food technology: Jordan Kirkland.

TECHNOLOGY: TEXTILES Kirsty Goodes award for achievement in textiles: Freya Davidson-Smith.

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Outstanding Achievement in Vocational Education Business: Eloise Mino.

Health and Social Care: Jade Branfield.

Exceptional effort Animal care: Sophie Sampson.

Excellence in work experience: Nathan John.

CITIZENSHIP Evesham Vale Lions good citizenship award: Hannah Harding.

Pershore Town Council citizenship award: Stephen Maughan.

Pershore Abbey awards: Benjamin Carr, Nathan John, Victoria Shone.

Co-operative Community Action awards 2007: Chloe Bitcon, Hannah Evans, Adam Gordon, Luke Gordon.

CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY Thomas Fincher.

THE SIXTH FORM For service to the Sixth Form: Robin Laight, Katharyn Natynczuk.

GOLD AND PLATINUM AWARDS Year 8 Gold: Matthew Baker, Emily Ball, Lauren Ball, Gemma Bilboe, Chantelle Cain, Samuel Carlton Smith, Samantha Charlton, Rachel Corbett, James Dodson, Ebony Findlay, Hannah Fowler, Lois Godwin, Hannah Griffin, Philip Griffiths, Coral Gubbins, Abbigail Hallen, Olivia Harbridge, Lucy-Alice Harris, Olivia Hartley, Josef Havas, Andrew Hyatt, Robert Ireland, Georgina Jones, Luke Jones, Mathew Lloyd, Harry Mallinson, Alasdair McGillivray, Stephanie McStay, Eleanor Morris, Bethany Mullaly, Alasdair Mustard, Sofie Owen, Kathryn Percival, Jack Perri, Edward Surman, Lucy Taylor, Alexander Wagner, Roseanna Walker, Stephanie Weaver, Jordan White Year 9 Gold: Victoria Adams, Kate Anderson, Georgina Bailey, Leigh-Anne Beattie, Christopher Chamberlain, Hayden Corey, Rebecca Dawkes, Victoria Eden, Katherine Evans, Thomas Fincher, Ruth George, Jamie Hatch, Emma Hawtree, Rebecca Lear, Shereen Morris, Aimee Sealey, Alexander Smith, Scott Spalding, Steven Ward, Rebecca Williams, Sophie Wilson, Jessica Zielinski .

Year 8 Gold and Platinum: Chloe Bitcon, Joshua Carr, Katie Clasen, Michole Jeynes, Kate Rawlings, Samuel Verralls, Daniel Wilcox.

Year 9 Gold and Platinum: Molly Browne, Elizabeth Driscoll, Abigail Jones, Rebecca Lear, Thomas Neal, Andrew Price.

EXCEPTIONAL EFFORT Year 8: Chantelle Cain, Samantha Charlton, Michael Herdman, Michole Jeynes, Mathew Lloyd, Holly Mullinger, Samuel Verralls, Myles Weaver, Stephanie Weaver Year 9: Cody Aldington, Rebecca Dawkes, Hannah Downs, Elizabeth Driscoll, Laura Higgins, Emma Hildesley, Abigail Jones, Katie Pickering, Jodie Stock, Amy Wilkinson Year 10: Aimee Archer, Adam Gordon, Luke Gordon, James Grant, Laura Hudson, Helena Long, Helen Moore, Rebecca Parkinson, Thomas Rock, Victoria Shone, Hanna Titchen, Jessica Wallis, Victoria Wassell, Harriet Young.

Year 11: Lauren Clarke, Molly Edwards, Sarah Ellingworth, Rachel Gilder, Sharondeep Purewal.

Year 12: Amy Baldwin, Reena Bhatt, Philip Griffiths, Rebecca Haines, Naomi Robinson.

Year 13: Alyson Bartlett, Jennifer Bryant, Hayley Chessum, Alexander Clifton, Anna Crouchley, Laura Hunt.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Year 8: Chloe Bitcon, Joshua Carr, Megan Chitty, Lois Godwin, Beth Marler, Kate Rawlings.

Year 9: Molly Browne, Nathan Comber, Melissa Creese, Fiona Hartley, Andrew Oxley, Sebastian Shaw.

Year 10: Eleanor Percival, Hannah Redgewell, Jennifer Weaver.

Year 11: Ellen Broderick, Lauren Clarke, Hannah Evans, Sian Evans, Alexandra Hartley, Christopher Jefferies, Thomas Mason, Stephen Maughan, Eloise Minor, Hannah Train, Samuel Walton.

Year 12: Matthew Betteridge, Hannah Clubley, Samuel Peirce, Giles Shaw, Jonathan Stickler, Benjamin Thirlby, Michael Walker, Ryck Williamson Year 13: James Everett, Niall Green, Andrew Griffiths, James Hubball, Harriett Rea.