As Prize Day approaches, our students are celebrating their achievements over the course of the previous 12 months.  Last year, 101 pupils from Banbridge Academy competed in the British Biology Challenge. Over 35,000 pupils from across the UK ‘took up the challenge’. The competition is for pupils in Year 10 and 11 to showcase their knowledge, on a range of Biology topics, in two on-line tests.
This was the third year that young biologists from the Academy have entered and the number of participants indicates both the interest in this event and the competitive nature of the pupils.
The Academy pupils performed with great distinction and were rewarded with  2 Gold, 4 Silver and 20 Bronze awards. In addition, a further 20 pupils’ efforts were ‘highly commended’ while another 27 were ‘commended’ by the judges from the Society of Biology, in London, who organise the event.
Jay Radcliffe (then Year 11) matched the Gold Award that he achieved, while in Year 10, last year and he was joined, last year, at the highest level by Rose O’Neill (then Year 11). Both Jay and Rose deserve special mention but all the Academy pupils who took part in last year’s competition deserve congratulations for their efforts.