City celebrates with Excellence in Exeter awards

The evening celebrated the skills and achievements of students who were nominated by their schools for their sporting, artistic or academic achievements and community efforts.

Now in its third year, the Excellence in Exeter awards, sponsored by EDF Energy and organised by the University are designed to help forge closer links between the University and local schools and colleges as a way of encouraging young people to engage with higher education.

University of Exeter Chair of Council, Russell Seal said, ‘It’s an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of young people who, as a group in society, so often come in for criticism. It is also an opportunity to publicly acknowledge the wide range of ways in which young people excel. This year we had something extra to celebrate. Our young people have, as a group, excelled in their GCSE results as never before. 61.7 per cent of the youngsters in the five City secondary schools achieved five or more A* - C grades. This is absolutely stunning progress.’

The evening also identified the winner of the EDF Energy Community Award that recognises the schools who are making a positive difference to their educational environment. Following the golden envelope moment, Southbrook College was revealed to be the winner for their Compost Crazy project. They used a collection of compostable materials to help increase the pupils’ awareness of global issues and how they affect their own future. Through the project, which has involved Exeter City Council Recycling and Education Centre, the College also hopes to become self-sufficient in compost for its own school garden.

Dan Pritchard, EDF Energy’s External Communications Manager, said: “Southbrook College’s entry Compost Crazy was very strong. It has fantastic engagement from pupils and uses a real hands-on approach to get young people thinking about environmental issues on a local, national and global scale to show how everything connects.”

Southbrook College will receive £500 plus offers of advice and volunteering support from the energy company, to help develop its project. St James School was highly commended for its entry ‘Learning for Life’.