MCS Pupil Wins British Education Award

The school is delighted to announce that Euan (L6) won at the British Education Awards 2019 in the England Zone 2 GCSE Category.

On Thursday night, the UK’s top students were honoured at the awards ceremony in Manchester.

Seventy-six finalists travelled from locations spanning England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to attend the event, though snow impeded the journeys of many of them.

The BEA’s press release from the event continues: ‘Students and their families mingled with celebrities, educators and politicians at the iconic Beetham Tower, part of the Hilton Manchester Deansgate, ready to hear the winners of BEA 2019 announced.

Now in its third year, British Education Awards recognises the outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements of students across five award categories; including GCSE or Scottish National 5, A Level or Scottish Advanced Higher, Vocational and Degree.

Twenty winners were presented with a trophy by an array of politicians;leading education professionals and celebrities from the world of television and sport.

Five nominees also received Special Achievement awards. These awards pay special tribute to students who have overcome a range of particularly difficult circumstances and personal challenges during their education; making their accomplishments all the more remarkable.

At BEA 2019, all finalists had demonstrated an extremely high level of discipline in order to achieve top grades, and this was further highlighted when taken in context with their extensive extracurricular responsibilities. These ranged from membership of the Girl Guides and RAF Cadets and volunteering within the community, to participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards; entering national and international competitions; and numerous drama, music and sporting commitments.

The judging panel was also impressed by the extra measures students had taken to advance their learning, with many having undertaken additional study and work placements to achieve their goals. They had also shown ‘significant dedication to mentoring and supporting fellow students through peer study groups, after-school clubs and societies’.

400 guests gathered for the gala event and were treated to a three-course dinner. The awards were co-hosted by BBC television and radio presenter Kevin Fitzpatrick and Professor Basma Ellahi, who is an expert in public health and nutrition from the University of Chester.

The judging panel were impressed with Euan’s achievements in education beyond the school curriculum, which include an award from a prestigious Google-run international coding competition alongside a plethora of successes in maths challenges and science olympiads, all of which have enabled Euan to build a reputation as a sought-after conference speaker and mentor.

A spokesperson for the BEA said that the institution ‘hopes Euan’s success … will further inspire Magdalen College School students in their educational pursuits and encourage them to participate in our future Award events’.

Well done Euan!