Competitions & Prizes

This page will have details of currently available competitions & prizes for school students. Send entries to the addresses given below.

The RHS Bath Golden Sponge-Stick Competition Report

The RHS Bath Golden Sponge-Stick Competition was launched in September 2008. It was inspired by the original idea of the very successful Roman Mysteries writer, Caroline Lawrence. She suggested, in a talk,that the Golden Sponge-stick would be a good award for the best Roman Mystery, after a little girl in Year 3 thought that Caroline’s sponge-stick was an award for her books!

A Golden Sponge-Stick competition devised by my colleague, Lynda Bevan, was successful at The Royal High School Bath last summer so we decided to organise a National Schools and Colleges Competition. The idea of the competition was to write a short Roman story, mystery or thriller which should be no longer than 1500 words. There were four age categories and the deadline for all entries was Friday November 21 2008.

Most pleasingly we received 298 entries overall with a  high standard of research and writing across all age categories. The students excelled in their imagination, development of plot, dialogue and thrilling twists and turns. Interestingly some of the finest entries centred on the emotions of animals, for example cats and rats as well as human beings. We very much hope that some of the winning entries will be published in some Classical publications. Watch this space…

Here is a list of the winners and other placings for each category :

Winners /Placings: RHS Bath Golden Sponge-stick competition 2008

Under 9 age category :

1. Isabel Davies Jones , St Andrew’s School, Meads, Eastbourne, East Sussex

2. Eleanor Heathcock , Forest School, Timperley, Altrincham, Cheshire

3. Beth Seaman , St John’s College School, Cambridge

9-11 age category   :

1.  Emma Lewis , Berkhamsted Collegiate

2.  Alina Clare Young ,  St Paul’s School for Girls , London

3.  Angus Edward Henry King , Downsend School, Leatherhead

11 -13 age category  : 

1.  Josie Heesom , Stamford High School

2.  Eilidh Avison,  Harris Academy, Dundee

3.  Ava Davies , Wycombe Abbey School

14 and above age category :

1.  Lucy Edwards, Norwich High School for Girls

2.  Craig Rischmiller  Bristol Grammar School

3.  Katy Morgan, Wells Blue School

Many thanks to all students and teachers of the schools and colleges listed below for participating. There were many impressive contributions. Thanks also to the few home educated entries we received.

School/College entries  :

Alderley Edge School for Girls, Babington House School, Bablake School, Beaconsfield School, Berkhamsted Collegiate, Bexley Grammar School, Birkdale School, Sheffield, Bishopston Comprehensive School, Bristol Grammar School, Bury Grammar School for Boys, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, London, Cathedral School, Llandaff, Cardiff, Chatham Grammar School for Boys,Colchester RGS, Cundall Manor School, Devonport High School for Girls, Dollar Academy, Scotland, Downsend School, Leatherhead, Durham Johnston Comprehensive, Exmouth Community College, Forest School, Timperley,Ffynone House School, Swansea, George Abbot School, Guildford, Hampton Hill Junior School, Hampton Boys, Harlington Upper School, Harris Academy, Dundee, Heaton Manor Comprehensive School, Newcastle, Hertsmere Jewish Primary School, High Storrs School, Sheffield, Howell School, Llandaff, Ipswich School, Ipswich High School, King Henry VIII Senior School, Coventry, Loughborough High School, Loreto College, St. Albans, Lynn Grove High School, Marist Schools, Ascot, Moreton Hall Preparatory School, Bury St Edmunds, Northwood Preparatory School,Norwich High School, Nottingham High School, Putney High School, Redland High School, Bristol, Robert Clack School, Dagenham, Royal Manor Arts College, Rugby High School, Rugby, Rye St Antony School, St Andrews, Eastbourne, St Bees School, Cumbria, St John’s College School, Cambridge, St Leonard’s Mayfield School, St Mary’s Ascot, St Mary’s College, Crosby, St Mary’s School, Worcester, St Paul’s School for Girls , St Swithun’s School, Winchester,  Shrewsbury High School, Silverhall School, Winterborne, Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Rochester, Solihull School, Soham Village College, South Devon College, South Hampstead High School,  Springmead School, Beckington, Stamford High School, Staverton Primary School, Stoke Row C.E. School, Henley-on-Thames, Terra Nova School, Cheshire, The Beacon , Amersham, The Becket School, Nottingham, The Judd School, Tonbridge, The Kingsley School, Royal Leamington Spa, The Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, The Sholing Technology College, Southampton, The Study Preparatory School, Wimbledon, Tiffin School , Trinity Catholic High, Woodford Green, Victoria College, Belfast, Vinehall School, East Sussex, Wells Blue School, Wimbledon High School, Withington Girls School, Wycombe Abbey School, Bucks.

‘Honorary’ international entries :

Resurrection- St Paul School, Ellicott, Maryland, USA
St Stephen’s School, Rome

Special thanks to the following for their help and encouragement in various ways :  My family , The Royal High School Bath , ARLT, V. Barber, Ms L  Bevan , Mrs J Bent, Mr M Benton, Mr J Cox, Mr M Donnelly, Friends of Classics, Dr M Golder, Mr W Griffiths and Cambridge Latin Project, Mr D Goodman, JACT, Mrs C. Lawrence,  Mrs G  Manners, Mr A O’Donnell, Dr L Robinson and iris project, Mrs E Sandis , M Sansom , Mr A Wink and armamentaria.

Jerry Pine,
Head of Classics,
Royal High Senior School Bath

24.1.2009

Jowett Minimus Mythology Competition

Details for Competitors:

Choose the appropriate level as outlined below according to the book you are using regardless of your pupils’ ages

1. Minimus 1 = The Cyclops
2. Minimus 2 = Demeter and Persephone

    Choose your category from the three below.

1. Art eg drawing, collage, painting, mosaic
2. Creative Writing eg  poem, retelling story in 1st person, playwriting
3. Drama – to be submitted (in Latin) on video/DVD with written script

A maximum of 10 entries, at each level may be submitted by each school/club. Hold an internal competition, if desired, in order to select your best entries. Each entry in categories 1 and 2 should be the work of only one pupil.
Entries should be digitally photographed and sent ONLY by E-MAIL to the organiser Pam Macklin at pam@nethaus.co.uk who will forward them to the judges.

EVERY entry should be accompanied by the Pupil’s Name and Age and the Name and Address of School together with a short description of the materials used (for art work).

Include a completed copy of the entry form

Entries must be received by         23-05-08

Winners to be notified by 1st July 2008
The winning entries will be displayed on the website www.minimus.com

Prizes will be awarded to individual entrants and an additional prize will go to the school, which in the judges’ opinion submitted the best set of entries.

Gladstone Prize 2009

Entries should be completed by July 17th 2009 and sent to:

Dr C Gruzelier
46 Sir John’s Road
Selly Park
Birmingham
B29 7ER

JOWETT SENDELAR ESSAY COMPETITION 2009

For Year 9 and under: approximately 1,500 – 2,500 words. Illustrations (with captions) are welcome.

a)         WARFARE
Who were the better soldiers – Romans or Greeks? (You will need to include an analysis of the Battle of Pydna in your answer).

b)         GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Orestes faced trial at the Areopagus for the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra. Write EITHER the prosecution speech OR his defence speech arguing for his acquittal. (You will need to make detailed references to the relevant myth)

c)         GREEK GODS
Write a biography of Zeus. Was he a great god or not?

d)         GREEK ART
The Greeks made decorated pots by the thousand. What type of key themes can we find on them and why did decorative styles change over time?

e)         ROME – Life on Hadrian’s Wall.
You have just been posted to Hadrian’s Wall. Write an account of your life on the Wall. (Remember that you need to include lots of ACCURATE historical detail).

Entries MUST be of A4 paper format (not on disc); printed, or written, in black or blue ink. Please do not use difficult-to-read fonts (e.g. all capitals).

Candidates MUST put their name, date of birth, and school on their entries. Please put name and school on the front page as well. The judges would like to see a bibliography or a list of the sources consulted. A word-count should be given.

Entries should be marked “Jowett Sendelar Essay Competition” and sent to: Ms A. M. Wright, Classics Dept, St Mary’s School, Ascot, SL5 9JF. The closing date for entries is 1st August 2009. Candidates will be notified in December 2009.

Please remember it is essential to include a stamped addressed envelope for the return of scripts, reports and any prizes. PLEASE attach the correct postage!

Joint Association of Classical Teachers Jowett-Sendelar Competition 2008

Report from the Judges
On behalf of the organising committee, JACT and the Jowett Trustees, I offer my thanks to those teachers who continue to support the Competition and who encourage their pupils to submit entries. As always, particular thanks must go to the Jowett Copyright Trustees for their essential support of the competition in both its administration and its generous prize money.

The 2008 Essay Competition saw entries remaining high (176 this year, 177 in 2007, 154 in 2006). This year most candidates came from senior schools and there were fewer entries from prep schools or younger candidates. I would remind teachers that candidates from Years 7 and 8 are very welcome and have often produced good work in the past. 2008 saw the first entry from a home-educated pupil – such entrants are also very welcome.

Essay titles for 2009 are available on Hellenic Society website (www.hellenicsociety.org.uk) and also on the JACT website.

Please can teachers ensure that they always include an appropriately-stamped SAE when they enter candidates to ensure the safe return of entries, candidate reports, and any prizes.

Jowett-Sendelar Essay Competition 2008 – Titles

a)         WARFARE
Why did the Greeks win the fifth-century BC Persian Wars?

b)         TROJAN WAR
An appeal has been made to Zeus that the Greeks did not deserve to win the Trojan War. As counsel for the Trojans OR the Greeks (but not both), present your case to the judges…

c)         GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Heracles – Brainless Thug or Top Hero? Looking at the whole of Heracles’ career (not just the Labours), give your assessment of him as a hero.

d)         ROME
Marcus – Roman Soldier. His Service in Britain.
Write Marcus’ story! You may choose to write in either biographical or autobiographical format. Remember that you need to include lots of ACCURATE historical detail (i.e. not just a recitation of violent battles).

General Remarks
formatting, etc.

• Entries must be presented on A4 paper and not on disc or paper of a different size. Essays should be neatly written or typed in a standard, easy-to-read font (eg Garamond/Gill Sans/Times New Roman etc.) of at least 12 point.
• Please give date of birth, age, word-count and bibliography.
• Illustrations really do help and using them is a great opportunity to introduce pupils to Greek Art. Some entries made excellent use of pictures from vases (particularly in the Heracles essays). However, it is also important to include captions giving the origin and indicating the relevance to the text.
• Gratifyingly, few entries were written in strange fonts. It is a great relief not to have to struggle through essays written in odd fonts (all capitals, multi-coloured, red print, etc.).

content, etc

• The ability to provide coherent analysis was one of the key elements in selecting the best entries. The essay titles looked for sustained argument, not continuous narrative. 
• In general, the English of the entries appeared to have been checked with more care this year, although practice/practise caused some problem in the Roman Britain entries. May I enter a plea for careful paragraphing, which appeared to be this year’s bugbear?
• This year, many candidates took advantage of the full word allowance – to the substantial benefit of their essays. Candidates should not be afraid to explore their subject in depth and a well-sustained argument requires more words!
• As in previous years, all the essays from Oundle were excellently presented.
• Nearly all entries from Bolton Boys and Oundle were of a noticeably high standard.
• Gratifyingly, plagiarism presented few problems this year, except in five or six essays. However, I would ask that all teachers to keep explaining to pupils the need for original research and check to see that whole passages are not lifted from the internet.

Roman Britain
The Roman Britain title attracted the greatest number of entries (80/175). It was good to see that most entrants avoided the temptation to send Marcus into one gory battle after another – this restraint led to far more accurate historical information being written! Avraneel Talapatra      (Bolton Boys) produced easily the best essay in this section, with lots of historical information presented in a most convincing manner. What was particularly pleasing was that Avraneel had managed to introduce many aspects of life in Roman Britain into his essay (such as farming and roads) without ever making the narrator sound like a text-book. Credit also goes to one of the youngest entrants Nathaniel Hess (in Year 7 at New College School, Oxford), who produced a detailed account of life in Roman Britain.

In general, while many essays presented interesting information about life in the Roman Army (particularly the training regime), there was scope for more specifically Romano-British detail. Although the essay title clearly referred to life as a Roman soldier, most soldiers on service in Roman-Britain would have had experience of more than just equipment and meals; this was a good opportunity to demonstrate a wealth of information on other aspects of life in Roman Britain, such as villas, towns or Hadrian’s Wall. Oddly, many entrants did not describe Roman forts in detail (if at all)

Most entrants seemed to have derived their information from the Cambridge Latin Course (although there was scope for greater use of Latin names for various pieces of equipment). However, there were a few entries which were too dependent on websites – this was particularly noticeable in those which referred to the testudo as a ‘turtle’ formation. Without wishing to sound excessively hidebound, it is this judge’s opinion that pupils are too inclined to trust information just because it is on the web – if there is one thing they need to learn in an internet age it is that the web can be unreliable and/or location-specific!

One minor niggle was with chronological accuracy, for example when references were made to Vegetius when the entries were clearly set pre-Vegetius. It is important to remember that ancient authors exist in an actual timeframe.

Persian Wars
I was pleasantly surprised to see so many entrants tackle the Persian Wars question (39). Normally, the warfare option attracts the fewest entries and it is fair to say that, in past years, the warfare question has often been more demanding than others, as it requires a large amount of historical information to be marshalled and analysed.

The main difficulty this year seemed to be the need to analyse. A fair number of essays presented excellent narratives of the Persian Wars, but provided little analysis of why the Greeks won. Sadly, such essays did not answer the question set. In contrast, the best essays provided a comprehensive analysis of motivation, training, equipment, tactics, leadership, geographical factors and (that very Greek point), luck. Oscar Heyde (Merchant Taylors’) entered a mature and well-written piece which provided a comprehensive assessment of Greek tactics, while James Weber (Whitgift) managed to consider practically every reason for the Greeks’ success, including the role of the gods.

Heracles
The Heracles question attracted a good number of entries (33). The danger with this sort of question is that entrants provide an accurate and detailed narrative of the life of the hero and then provide very little analysis related to the title of the question. Gratifyingly, this year the majority of entrants kept closely to the question (and won a good number of the prizes). Olivia Davidson (North London Collegiate) produced a well-written and mature essay which was a worthy overall winner. Alexander Griffin (Oundle) provided a very detailed analysis of Heracles’ qualities as revealed by his adventures while Sam Fitzell (Haileybury) gave some thoughtful comments on what makes a true hero. Both Alex Howard (Dauntsey’s) and Alexandra Tonks (Oundle) was prepared to consider the unpleasant aspects of Heracles’ character.

Only one candidate believed that Heracles was a brainless thug, although some thought that Heracles did have his thuggish points. There was a slight tendency for some candidates to get carried away with their disapproval of violence and to argue, for example, that killing Cacus or Geryon was a ‘brutal’ thing to do. Presumably, the local inhabitants would have disagreed somewhat..!

Trojan Wars
This essay title was deliberately designed to enable entrants to enjoy writing a courtroom drama. Several essays engaged most convincingly with the legal setting – Connor Rodgers (Bolton Boys) produced a legal document with some splendidly witty touches (Trojan War Hearing, Court Alpha, Mount Olympus Crown Court) while Angus Watt (Oundle) was busily engaged pleading before Zeus that the Greeks obtained victory by deceit contrary to section 96 of the Fair Play in Warfare Act 1206 BC. These entries were cleverly conceived and contained a high level of relevant mythological detail. Casper Jackson had an excellent grasp of the mythological background.

The best essays in this section all displayed a good knowledge of the main events of the Trojan War and were able to utilise that knowledge to back up a coherent argument in favour of either the Trojans or the Greeks. Some essays, however, became so immersed in providing a detailed narrative that they failed to analyse and argue.

Prize-Winners 2008

Overall Winner

Distinction

Merit

Highly Commended

Commended

Competing Schools:
Bancroft’s; Belfast High; Birkdale; Bolton School Boys’ Division; Canon Slade C of E, Bolton; Cranmore; Dauntsey’s School; Haileybury; King Edward VI Grammar, Chelmsford; Merchant Taylors’; New College School, Oxford; North London Collegiate; Norwich School; Oundle; The Perse; Royal Grammar School, Guildford; Sevenoaks; Whitgift; home-educated.

A.M. Wright
Summer Fields, Oxford

CERTAMEN  IN  CONCORDIAM  EUROPAE  REGIONUM  OMNIUM

‘A Competition to promote harmony in all areas of Europe’

The name CICERO is an acronym in Latin, as you can see above. This innovative competition is organised by teachers of Classical subjects across Europe for their 6th form students, illustrating that a study of the Romans provides a worthwhile and valid reason for young people to interact with each other across their national boundaries.

In addition, for schools in Britain this competition provides excellent exam-style practice for students being prepared for AS or A2 Latin translation examinations, as well as an opportunity for extending potential Oxbridge candidates. This is a high profile event which allows participating Classics Departments to raise their profile within their own school community and beyond.

On Saturday 21st March 2009 students in seven different countries across Europe will begin to take part in the third annual CICERO competition. Students may enter for the L6th or U6th Latin translation and/or the Classics section (this year the topic will be The Myth of Odysseus/Ulysses). Students answer the same questions at the same time, link with their peers in the different centres by video-conferencing, and compete for both European and national prizes.

Cash prizes of up to £150 and an engraved silver trophy
Signed books from authors including Boris Johnson and prominent Cambridge Classicist Simon Goldhill.

Further information can be found on our web page : www.ciceroeuropa.eu
UK centre: Cranleigh School, Horseshoe Lane, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8QQ

Registration forms can be downloaded or you can contact us at rod@ciceroeuropa.eu