OUTGOING pupils at Blackburn’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School have been praised for their “competitive spirit”.

Headteacher Simon Corns was speaking at the historic school’s prize night in King George’s Hall.

He said the natural competitiveness of youngsters should be encouraged and not abandoned in favour of “dreary political correctness”.

Mr Corns said: “Intelligent young people are naturally competitive.

“Even if the spirit of competition manifests itself simply as wanting to do something better than you did it before, whether playing a musical instrument or capturing the nuances of a role on the stage.

“We must continue to promote this and use it to the pupils’ advantage and not abandon it in favour of dreary political correct-ness. Nor does a healthy enjoyment of competition militate against the traditional qualities of humility and courtesy on which we also pride ourselves at our school.”

At the event the chief guest was former QEGS pupil Judge Anthony Bate, who attended the school in the 1970s and who last year became the youngest crimi-nal judge in the country, on the south-eastern circuit.

Mr Corns also praised the school’s support staff. He said: “At QEGS they are spectacularly good at what they do; they all, individually and as a team, contribute towards the school’s ongoing success.

“To all of the office staff, caterers, laboratory technicians, cleaners, and those who co-ordinate their work, Kevin Dickinson, the estates manager, and Jeremy Ranford, our excellent bursar, I pay tribute.”

PICTURED: (Front) Headteacher Simon Corns, Mayor of Blackburn Coun Mohammed Khan and mayoress Nazreen Akhtar. (Back) head girl Neena Singh, head boy Scott Sunderland, chief guest Judge Anthony Bate and chair of governors John Barker.

>> PRIZEWINNERS

1st AND 2nd YEAR FORM PRIZEWINNERS: ATTAINMENT: Rebecca Barnes, Andrew Nowak, Joseph Westwood, Millie Parker, Oliver Roberts, James Atkinson, Adam van Cleef, Samuel Westwood. EFFORT: Sam Chung, Hannan Ali, Oliver Kinglake, Olivia Maidment, Isobel Taylor, George Kinglake, Rosie Vallely, Euan McKeating. Pupil Librarian of the Year Award: Amir Survay. 3rd AND 4th YEAR FORM PRIZEWINNERS: ATTAINMENT: Dean Ward, Jonathan Evans, Lucy Midgley, Dominic Laver, Arham Akhter, Robert Hughes, Oliver Gill, Farhan Huq, Rose France. EFFORT: Paul Singh, Alex Crichton, George Oxley, Christopher Parkinson, Matthew Cockett, Shahbaz Ahmed, Christopher Brees, James Thompson, Nathan Howard. SPORTS TROPHY WINNERS: The Donald Forbes Award to the School Football Captain: Elliot Breaks. The Ken Forbes Trophy for the Most Improved Footballer: Jack Morris. Junior Football: Joseph MacDonald. The Rugby Sportsmanship Trophy: Jonathan Woods. David Ward Cup for Sporting Endeavour: Duncan Burns. Senior Cricket: Jordan Clarke. Junior Cricket: Alexander Redhead. Junior Athlete of the Year: Joseph McDonald. Girls’ Prize for Sporting Commitment: Evie Jackson. GCSE PRIZEWINNERS: The James Kay and G K Jones Merit Prizes: ATTAINMENT: Naeem Adam, Henry Berwick, Adam Fenton, James Gooder, Zara Heaven, Katherine Midgley, Thomas Parker, Alexander Raynes. EFFORT: Curtis Dunbar, Salman Karim, Umer Khan, Jack Morris, James Scott. Grays Schoolwear Prize: Anthony Brown. June Ballantyne Prize For Community Action: Katherine Midgley. Creative Work Prizes: Graphic Products: Catherine Chitty. Resistant Materials: James McCann. MUSIC AND DRAMA PRIZEWINNERS: Junior Schola Cantorum Award: Sophie Greenwood. Senior Schola Cantorum Award: Catherine Wooldridge. Instrumental Music Junior: Oliver Roberts. Senior: Chris Burt. Drama: Rebecca Connearn; Catherine Wooldridge. HOUSE TROPHIES: The Marsden Merit Cup, awarded to the champion house for academic work: DRAKE. The Holden Trophy, awarded to the champion house for sports: GRENVILLE. A LEVEL PRIZEWINNERS: ATTAINMENT: Duncan Burns, Christopher Couch, Harry Eakins, James Huck, Sam Jadhav, Navnit Makaram, Dilani Perera, Thomas Pilkington, Mohammed Quraishi, Mursaleen Razzaq, Shoaib Rokadiya, Gina Warburton, Jonathan Woods. EFFORT: Daniel Barrett, Joseph Disney, Christopher Jones, Georgina Raseta, Hamza Tariq. Daniela Hargrave (Birtle Prize). LOWER SIXTH PRIZES: ATTAINMENT: Chloe Bentham, Chris Burt, Alexander Danson, Kaream Dawoud, Luke Evans, Elliot Hall, Mubeen Hameed, Callum Jones, James McArdle, Neena Singh, George-Henry Smith. EFFORT: Mohammed Ahmed, Callum Carruthers, Wayne Cheung, Jordan Clark, Antonia Ferguson, Jordan Howard, Benedict Hughes, Samuel Tranter. Walkersteel Prize for Product Design: Max Aughton. SUBJECT PRIZES: Art: Daniela Hargrave. Theatre Studies: Jessica Townsend. Democracy (E C Marsden Prize): Mark Harrop. Senior Debating (James Shoesmith Prize): Dilani Perera; Jack Whalley. General Studies (Marsden Prize): Rebecca Prest. Excellence in English: Robert Sands. English Literature (John Morley Prize): Shoaib Rokadiya. Economics (Weisters Prize): James Huck. (Nick Hanley Prize): Mohammed Ahmed. French: (Louisa Briggs Prize): Jack Whalley, (Harry Ingham Prize): Shoaib Rokadiya, German (Canon Harding Prize): Shoaib Rokadiya, Geography (William Coupe Prize): Peter Matthews, Geography Fieldwork: James Huck, History (Lynne Martindale Prize): Jonathan Woods, (Henry Whittaker Prize): Christopher Couch, Physical Education: Ashley Marsh, Product Design: Jonathan Higham, Psychology: Christopher Couch, Religious Studies: Christopher Couch, Classical Civilisation: Sam Jadhav, Latin: Gina Warburton, Information Technology: Alex Laver, Biology (Walter Garstang Prize): Matthew Cuyes, (Robinson Prizes): Navnit Makaram; Thomas Pilkington, Chemistry (Allan Earle Prize): Kyle Harrington, (Cyril Boardman Prize): Sabiha Mussa, (Henry King Prize): Dilani Perera, Physics (Michael Smith Prizes): James France; Alex Laver; Jack Whalley, Mathematics (John Garstang and Sir Harold Derbyshire Prizes): Harry Eakins; Jack Whalley, Mathematics (A G Campbell Prizes): Dilani Perera; Thomas Pilkington, Statistics: Duncan Burns: Rebecca Prest, Engineering Studies: Harry Eakins, Proficiency in Practical Work: Mursaleen Razzaq Science (Ted Norman Prizes): Joseph Disney; Harry Eakins; Dilani Perera, Biochemistry (Joseph Metcalf Prizes): Kaream Dawoud; Callum Jones, Robin Harwood Prize: Chris Burt; Callum Jones, The Henry King Progress Prize: Adnan Hussain, The Derick G Lund Prize for Medical Endeavour: Farhana Sheth, Elizabethan Associat-ion Prize for Senior Girl: Farhana Sheth, Robert Carr Radcliffe Prize for Head of School: Elliot Breaks.