Friday Headlines

01 April 2022

Sport at EHS is thriving. Each week an incredible number of pupils choose to participate in our diverse co-curricular programme and an ever-increasing range of recreational opportunities, and have enjoyed both regional and national success in a number of sports. On Thursday 24 March, a glittering Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony was held to celebrate the participation, commitment, and enthusiasm of Team EHS. 

Over 270 guests gathered in the Hall to enjoy light refreshments and the opportunity to catch up before taking their seats in the Octagon. The evening opened with an uplifting video montage showcasing pupils taking part in sports activities over the past two years and throughout various lockdowns when the EHS community found that sport and physical activity was a way for us to express ourselves, to stay active and to stay connected. Set to the soundtrack of the smash hit song ‘This is Me’ from The Greatest Showman, the video created an emotional response in many audience members, a combination of reflection and pride. 

Proceedings were based on the familiar format of the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year awards, featuring a series of video shorts to introduce all of the nominees interspersed with announcements of the award winners (listed below). The audience was delighted when the fantastic Dance Club took to the stage to deliver an entertaining performance to 'Boogie Wonderland' mid-way through the ceremony. 

Former pupil and current governor Anne Howarth (née Stirling) became the first recipient of the EHS Lifetime Achievement Award, for "well and truly demonstrating the Team EHS spirit of commitment, enthusiasm and leadership after leaving school". 

Having been kept in suspense all evening, the audience took to their feet in a well-deserved standing ovation when biathlete Jemima Jackson was announced as our overall Sports Personality of the Year.

Head of PE, Mrs Roye, closed with a special message: “It would be impossible for us to mention each and every one of you, but the very fact that you have been invited to this event means that you are already a regular attendee of a club or co-curricular activity. Whether you have been mentioned here tonight or not, whether you have won an award or not, we have a message for you. And that message is simply We See you! We see the small steps you take, the ones that are often so difficult. We see the trust you place in us and we watch you push yourselves out of your comfort zone.  We see you challenge yourselves harder than you ever thought possible. We find out about your successes both in school and outside, and we never get tired of hearing what you have entered, how you played or what your time was. We see you. And we commend you.”

It was an evening to celebrate the achievements of all pupils, whether great or small, acknowledging that it is often the little wins on the ladder of success that inspire confidence, motivation and a lifelong love of physical activity. We left in awe of our students’ sporting achievements and their positive attitudes…and more than a little bit proud to be Team EHS. 

Congratulations to all of our main prize winners:
EHS Sportsperson of the Year 2022- Jemima Jackson (Biathlon/Triathlon) 
EHS Sportsperson of the Year 2022 runner up- Star Ehiogu (Climbing) 
EHS Young Sportsperson of the Year 2022- Tiffany Latham
Unsung Hero Award- 9L (last year's 8L)
Greatest Sporting Moment of 2022- Senior Dance Club for their performance of Aberfan at The Great Big Dance Off
Outstanding Leader of 2022- Mollie Hewison
Team of the Year 2022- Junior ESSA National Finalists
EHS Lifetime Achievement Award- Anne Howarth

And congratulations to our additional sports prize winners:
KS3 Netballer of the Year- Millie Hardiman
KS4 Netballer of the Year- Arriella Randall and Tea Ilic
KS5 Netballer of the Year- Abida Mohamed and Megan Hardiman
Penny Speer Award for Commitment- Nancy O'Neill and Anna Grice
Most Improved Swimmer 2022- Olivia Dougan
Dance Cup 2022- Millie Villers-Cundy
EHS Hockey player of the year- Sanjana Raghavendran and Maia Kanagaratnam
Most Improved Recreational Gymnast of 2022- Nature Okah
Swimmer of the Year 2022- Daisy Bevan