THE principal of an independent school warned of the challenges facing the world in the new millennium.

Muriel Ashcroft, principal of Moorland School, Clitheroe, spoke out at the school's annual prizegiving ceremony.

She praised exam results and said Moorland endeavoured to encourage initiative, responsibility and leadership in pupils, which would be important attributes over the coming years.

"Our GCSE results were indeed good, with a 71 per cent pass rate at grade A to C.

"There was a 100 per cent pass rate in several subjects, with some pupils taking exams in 12 subjects.

"This truly reflects the hard work of pupils and the dedicated teaching of all our staff.

"The life of the school has been inestimably enriched by well-qualified and experienced teaching and care staff, and dedicated and hard-working support staff. I thank them all, the children and their parents, for support in allowing us to develop the three-way parent-child-school relationship so vital to academic and personal success," she said. But Mrs Ashcroft said the economic, social and environmental challenges facing the world in the new millennium would put a huge premium on leadership. "Moorland encourages initiative, responsibilty and leadership. Understanding will matter just as much as knowledge. Skills will matter just as much as power. And the ability to take responsibility for oneself and others will be more not less important," she said.

She also praised pupils for their fund-raising and charity work on behalf of Macmillan Nurses, the Bangladesh Flood Appeal and Operation Christmas Child.

"Our pupils are constantly showing that they possess attributes which are invaluable to their education and which will prepare them for adult life. These should be acknowleged and I am indeed proud of them all," she said. PRIZEWINNERS Kindergarten -- Moorhouse Number: Charlotte Flynn. Spelling: Heidi Thomas. Nature: Danielle Ashton. Music: Joshua Crowe. Merit: Heidi Thomas/Samantha Fell. Junior -- English: Jane Woods. Mathematics: Bradley Rowbottom. Science: Kerrie Johnston. Spelling: Jessica Unthank. Music: Eleanor Tucker/Paul Varley. Speech and Drama: Luke Brydges. Girl's Merit: Kathryn Dobson. Boy's Merit: Brian Chung. Effort: Joseph Mulligan. Good Manners: Hayley Thomas. Senior -- Mathematics: Ghazala Ahmed. Literature: Elizabeth Oglesby. Essay: Joseph Kettlewell. Geography: Elizabeth Oglesby. History: Joseph Kettlewell. French: Emma Pritchard. Science: Elizabeth Oglesby. Music: Elizabeth Oglesby. Speech and Drama: Jody Ashcroft. Art: Connie Chow. Information Technology: James Cottam. Craft, Design and Technology: Jody Ashcroft. Home Economics: Elizabeth Blakey. Social Behaviour: Paul Thompson. Effort: James Cottam. Effort: Phillippa Kettlewell. Merit: Elizabeth Oglesby. Merit: Kelly Gauntlett. Principal's Discretion: Louise Tattersall. Scholar of the Year: Ghazala Ahmed. Runner-up: Katy Mok. The Association Board of the Royal Schools of Music -- Piano: Grade One, Distinction: Luke Brydges. Grade Four, Pass: Elizabeth Oglesby. Violin: Grade One, Pass: Kelly Gauntlett. Clarinet: Grade Two, Pass: Katie Johnson. English Speaking Board -- Junior Introductory: Samantha Fell-Taylforth, William Swales. Junior Grade Three: Jane Woods, Hannah Collins, Luke Brydges, Kerrie Johnson. Senior Grade Three: Jody Ashcroft. The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art -- Grade Three in Speaking of Verse and Prose: Aimee Hammond.

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