The winners of this year’s History competition for schools have been announced. The winner of the Years 7-9 Group prize is Moyles Court. The winner of the Years 7-9 Individual prize is Celeste Hatcher of Boundary Oak School. Celeste is a student in Year 8 and she has won £100. She was presented with her winner’s by Nigel Atkinson, H.M. Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, at a presentation ceremony held at the Lord-Lieutenants offices at Serle’s House in Winchester attended by her teacher, mother and some fellow students who were awarded Highly Commended certificates for their individual projects (several students in other schools were also awarded Highly Commended certificates this year. The winner of the Sixth Form Group prize is Sixth Form College Farnborough. Moyles Court and Sixth Form College Farnborough have each won a winner’s trophy and £300 in prize money which will be put towards resources for their History Departments.
CELESTE HATCHER from Boundary Oak School: WINNER IN THE INDIVIDUAL YEARS 7-9 CATEGORY. (Won £100 plus a winner’s certificate)
Celeste produced an impressive on the life and death of one of her ancestors, Frederick Woodford. Frederick was a “greaser” working on The Titanic and drowned when the ship sank. His body was recovered, and he was buried in Nova Scotia. However, his widow and immediate family did not live to know that his body had been recovered and that he had been buried there because his body was not identified as one of the victims until 1991. The judges commented: “This is a wonderful project covering the life and death of Frederick Woodford and the impact and legacy that this had on his family. It is supported by a superb range of archives including photographs, newspaper cuttings, extracts from the census, logbooks, letters, etc. The range of archives used is impressive and they are used in such a way as to tell a fascinating and moving story that takes the reader from Southampton to Nova Scotia. It is a very impressive piece of work. One of the judges commented that, although he had heard the story of the Titanic told many times, he had never heard it relayed in such a plain and personal manner. Although initially the narrative seemed rather sparse, Celeste’s approach allowed this account of one family in tragic circumstances to speak for itself. There is some wonderful use of archival photographs. The result is a project which is powerful, poignant and unique.”
MOYLES COURT SCHOOL: WINNER OF THE GROUP YEARS 7-9 CATEGORY
Moyles Court’s History Club (Years 7 & 8) produce a short film about the life and death of Alice Lisle and her connection to Moyles Court: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89Ol9w1RNg The film is full of historical information, is visually strong and very well narrated and with some good performances by the students. It is a compelling piece of work that opens a window onto a turbulent and troubled period in our history. The accompanying documentation explained that the students had studied a copy of Alice Lisle’s Will and last speech, and the film has clearly been well researched, and it is well put together. The project shows evidence of genuine teamwork, there are elements of true empathy, and it demonstrates impressive creativity … not least in the “Horrible Histories” style rap in the middle of the film!
SIXTH FORM COLLEGE FARNBOROUGH: WINNER OF THE SIXTH FORM GROUP CATEGORY
A group of sixth form historians produced a website about the portraits of Empress Eugenie and her links to Farnborough: https://sites.google.com/farnborough.ac.uk/f6historyheritage/portraits-of-eug%C3%A9nie-project This project is a tour de force in which the sixth formers have analysed an impressive range of primary sources (including portraits, etchings, drawings, medals and photographs) to tell the story of Empress Eugenie, including her life in exile in Farnborough. It is full of historical content and excellent analysis of the sources with very good individual contributions from each of the students. It makes for a very interesting read and is extremely well presented. The breadth of sources, the range of images, and the multifaceted perspectives are all most impressive. The attention to detail and nuance on display is also noteworthy. Not only are portraits decoded and deconstructed, but other images and objects are also closely analysed. We would also note the attention to detail when it came to referencing sources.
The competition for the next academic year will be launched in September. The deadline for entries will be Friday 20th March 2026. More information will be published when the new competition is launched.