SPORTING heroes were evident at Evesham High School's Awards Evening.

DAVID Graveney, chairman of England's cricket selectors, was the special guest during Evesham High School's awards evening.

And he singled out a disabled pupil who had gone for gold at a national event.

Mr Graveney, who is also chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association, helped mark the school's designation as a specialist sports college.

Quoting Nelson Mandela, he said: "Sport has the power to change the world."

The awards evening, last Wednesday, celebrated the achievements of more than 70 students.

Headmaster David Kelly said: "We were delighted with the awards evening.

It was one of the best ever. I am delighted also with the achievements of 70 of our youngsters from academic to sporting, arts, music and community activities. We were also very pleased to welcome such a distinguished sportsman as David Graveney, a first class cricketer, to present the awards.

"He very generously singled out Dan Merrett, a disabled athlete who won the gold in the shot put in the national disabled athletes event last year.

"Mr Graveney's comments were very supportive and positive comments when he presented Dan with the head's award for sporting achievement."

Mr Kelly said that the school aimed to become a centre of excellence in PE and sport in south Worcestershire. Staff intended to use the additional funding and capital investment specialist status brings, to raise standards across the whole curriculum and improve the joint-use facilities which make it a school at the heart of our community."

The High School Roll of Honour:

EVESHAM High School award winners:

Darren Albutt - The Chemistry Major; Donna Allchurch - The Child Development Minor; Lorna Beddis - The Sporting Achievement (Year 10) Award Shield; Samantha Birch - Governors Certificate of Merit; Jasmine Blake - Governors Certificate of Merit; Daniel Borlase - The Geography Minor; Daniel Borlase - Achievement at GCSE; Mathew Brace - The Drama Minor; Andrew Brimm - The Endeavour Award; Nicola Busby - The Sociology Minor; Hannah Coggins - The Vale Lions Award Shield; Tom Curtis - The Lyon Rugby Cup; Graham Daniell - The Information Technology Major; Lucy Donnison - Governors Certificate of Merit; Sam Dyer - The Digi-UK Music Award; Hayley Evans - Governors Certificate of Merit; Natalie Gould - The Geography Major; Matthew Haines - The Morris Hockey Cup; Lucy Hardman - Governors Certificate of Merit; Lisa Harris - the AVCE Leisure and Recreation Major; Thomas Heath - Achievement at GCSE; Tessa Humphreys - The Media Studies Major; Tessa Humphreys - The Rotary Award; Kayleigh Innes - Achievement at GCSE; Benjamin Iorns - Achievement at GCSE; Emma James - Achievement at GCSE; Emma James - Governors Certificate of Merit; Victoria Johns - Governors Certificate of Merit; Timothy Johnson - The Wychavon Shield for Modern Languages; Kylie Jones - Governors Certificate of Merit; Matthew Kidner - Governors Certificate of Merit; Kirsty Leigh - The Design Technology (Food) Major; Gemma Leigh - The Modern Languages Major; Steven Leonard - The Robbins Award for Excellence; Steven Leonard - The Physics Major; Steven Leonard - The History Major; Steven Leonard - The Mathematics Major; Ryan Lerigo-Jones - The Music Minor; Mark Lewis - The Raymer Award for Sportsmanship; William Lloyd - The Philip Dooney Trophy (Year 10) jointly with Ryan Yapp; Emma Lowe - the Sporting Achievement (Year 9) Award Shield; Kathryn May - The Stella Hall Music Cup jointly with Jenny Roberts; Jake Meredith - The Robert Barlow Trophy (Year 9) jointly with Tom Wilmot; Daniel Merrett - The Head's Award for Sport; Daniel Merrett - The Paul Crane Award; Tim Messent - The Royal British Legion Award; Nicola Miles - The Most Promising Young Drama Student; Daniel Millward - Governors Certificate of Merit; Lisa Nash - The Safeway Award for Business Studies Major; Matthew Nicklin - The Ina Vernon Award for Progress in Food Technology; Claire Nicoll - The Music Major; Claire Nicoll - The Drama Major; Craig Norledge - The Business Studies Minor; Craig Norledge - The Design Technology (Resistant Materials) Minor; Craig Norledge - Achievement at GCSE; Kayleigh Palk - The Child Development Major; Ian Peart - Governors Certificate of Merit; Alison Pedley - The English Major; Alison Pedley - The Robert England Memorial Award for Biology; Alison Pedley - The Sociology Major; Frances Penny - Achievement at GCSE; Helen Pickering - The Baldelli Award Cup for Choral Work; Jenny Roberts - The Stella Hall Music Cup jointly with Kathryn May; Philip Rose - The Croft Cup; Sam Scott - The Design Technology (Food) Minor; Robert Severn - The Safeway Award for Economics Major; Mark Skelcher - The Rotary Award; Mark Skelcher - The Art Major; Rosie Smith - The Henry King Music Cup; Amy Speake - The Martin Davey Memorial Trophy; Leanne Sutton - The Award for Student beginning Art Foundation Course; Nick Symonds - Governors Certificate of Merit; Jonathan Turner - The Modern Languages Minor; Jonathan Turner - The Rover Award for Achievement; Jonathan Turner - The Art Minor; Jonathan Turner - The Media Studies Minor; Jonathan Turner - Achievement at GCSE; Jonathan Turner - The Information Technology Minor; Jonathan Turner - Governors Certificate of Merit; Jonathan Turner - The English Minor; Laura Walton - The Most Promising Young Artist; Jonathan Wells - Achievement at GCSE; Jonathan Wells - The Design Technology (Graphics) Minor; Joseph Wilcox - Achievement at GCSE; Joseph Wilcox - The Science Minor; Joseph Wilcox - The Mathematics Minor; Joseph Wilcox - The History Minor; Tom Wilmot - The Robert Barlow Trophy (Year 9) jointly with Jake Meredith; Simon Wiltshire - Governors Certificate of Merit; Helen Wormall - The VCE Business Studies Major; Ryan Yapp - The Philip Dooney Trophy (Year 10) jointly with William Lloyd.