Broadcaster celebrates Newbury school's spirit of achievement

Parents, staff and governors congratulated former Year 11 pupils as they received awards for their efforts across the curriculum from broadcaster Clare Balding.
The school celebrated its best GCSE results in its history this year, with 79.2 per cent of pupils achieving five or more passes at grade A* to C, not including mathematics and English.
Receiving the Gill Appleby Memorial Prize for achieving nine or more A* and A grade GCSEs were Penny Atkinson, Gareth Carless, Marcus Davies, Anna Gildersleeves, Harriet Gray, Jessica Harris, Issie Hawker, Louisa Hygate, Woljciech Klimowicz, William Matthews, Katie Morton, Matthew Penlington, Karolina Pyrzanowska, Stephanie Restivo, Grace Towey and Josh Wilkinson.
Also receiving the award and the headteacher’s ‘Living the Values’ award was high-flyer Heather Barr, who achieved 12A*s and two As, was a 2012 Olympic games maker, a West Berkshire young ambassador and was nominated as one of Berkshire’s Young Sports Volunteers of the Year.
Picking up special prizes for academic progress were Harry Asquith-Beard, Emma Lawson and Niall Madden-Blain. Special prizes for commitment to the school were awarded to Julia Thorp, Tom Davis, Liam Wright and Tesni Fakes.
Kingsclere-born Clare Balding said: “I have never known a school so positively embrace the Olympic and Paralympic spirit and values. This has to be a major reason for the year group’s record-breaking achievements”.
As well as presenting the awards, Ms Balding posed for pictures with pupils. She tweeted: “Had a fun evening giving out Year 11 prizes at Park House School. There are some very dodgy selfies out there!”
The event also saw returns and reunions as former pupils and teachers linked up to share memories, including broadcaster Andy Stevenson, who was head boy during the 1998-99 school year, as well as Doug Cook who taught PE for 35 years.
Headteacher Derek Peaple said: “To celebrate the wonderful achievements of a record- breaking Year 11, we were privileged to be joined by a very special guest of honour.
“Just as Clare so brilliantly captured the spirit of inspiration and achievement at London 2012, she equally captivated the imagination of our students with her message of having the confidence to seize the very opportunity life presents.”