SIXTY-EIGHT Peter Symonds College, Winchester, students from 26 feeder schools received prizes at this year's 2008 Awards Evening.

In a motivating address the guest speaker Professor Sir William Taylor from Kings Worthy urged them all to make full use of the wonderful opportunities today's world offers to see and hear and experience the best of every genre that has been written, composed, painted, sculpted, built and invented.

"It is your inheritance," he said.

"Respect and enjoy it. Guard it well. And use your talent and potential to enrich it for future generations."

Sir William has held various eminent posts in education including Directorship of the London institute of Education, Principal of the University of London and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull.

Currently he is Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of London Institute of Education and Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee.

The Principal, Neil Hopkins, welcomed many other guests including the president of the Old Symondians and president of the Old Mercers' Club and then spoke about the excellent exam results where the A level pass rate, excluding General Studies, was again over 99 per cent, with over 84 per cent of entries graded at A, B or C. Thirty-seven subjects had 100 per cent pass rates. He expects the college again to be well up in the top 10 colleges in the Country.

Sixty-six students scored 600 or more UCAS points, the equivalent of 5 grade A's or better. Seven students had marks in one or more of their exams which were in the top five in the country. Sophie Bellows was declared by AQA to be their very best science student, top out of over 51,000 sitting their Science A-levels this year.

He also spoke of outstanding sporting achievements with the college ranking best in the UK in many sports.

The dramatic and musical performances were once again he said of a remarkably high standard.

He thanked the college staff who help with other "Activities" from beginners' Japanese to knitting! Some are just for fun, some for a qualification and others for a bit of both. This year for example, student teams reached the national finals in both the Mock Trial competition for Law students and the Bank of England's "Target 2.0" competition.

Finally, the principal congratulated the students on their work for charity. They raised over £5,000 last year from the many and varied events organised by the Student Union.

The 2008 Awards and Recipients (with former school) are:- Joe Cox Awards, sponsored by the Old Symondians' Society, for making the most of their time in college were presented to: Rajdeep Gahir - Swanmore College of Technology; Rosamond Leech-Wilkinson - Cantell Maths & Computing College; Conrad Langridge and Michael Secker - Henry Beaufort . The OSS also sponsored an Award for Drama & Theatre Studies Benjamin Riddle - Testbourne Community School and an Award for Photography Harriet Pickrell -Mountbatten School & Language College.

The 2007 Pembroke College Oxford Prize went to Christopher Curry - Westgate School - who gained the most UCAS points in the college (760). Christopher was also awarded the Law Prize.

Mercers' School Memorial Prizes (Merrett Bequest) for Academic Excellence were presented to the five students who scored more than 680 UCAS points with their exam results. The recipients were Rebecca Fox - Wildern; Dominic Perrett - Westgate; Melissa Zhao - St Edmunds Catholic School; Iona Clark - The Gregg School and Dan Ahearn - Kings who also received the Applied Maths Award.

Winchester University sponsored four Awards which were presented to Cara Attenborough - Costello Technology College for English; Emily Morgan - KES for Film Studies; Georgia Collins - The Gregg School for Performance Studies and Rebecca Condie - John Hanson for Sport.

Southampton Solent University sponsored four awards which were presented to Laura Coleman - Wildern School BTEC Sport; Benjamin Dawson - Hampshire Collegiate for Applied Business; Jennifer Willbourn - The Gregg School for Geography; Stephanie Spicer - Wyvern Tech for Media Studies.

The British Computer Society Award sponsored two prizes for Computing which were received by Christian Miles - Perins and Danielle Warman - Harrow Way Community School. The Jerry Fisher Prize for Economics Gareth Anderson Brighton Hill Community College; The John Livy Prize for communication in a science subject was awarded to Sean Main - Testbourne; Rod Parry Prize for Physics Christopher Durrant -Meoncross School.

Subject Awards from each faculty were then presented:- Art - Charlotte Micklewright - Westgate; Biology to Mirina Paananen -Thornden; Human Biology - Sinead O Hara - Thornden; National Certificate Business Matthew Hayhurst ; Business Studies Chris Burton - Test Valley; Chemistry Barnaby Walker - Perins; Classics Rhiannon Stokes - Henry Beaufort; Communication Studies Alex Parry - Westgate; Computing Stephen Tuttlebee - Romsey; Critical Thinking Georgina Ife - Thornden; Dance Jennifer Howells - Thornden; Economics Raj Rabheru - Perins; English Literature & Language Thomas Tyrell - Henry Beaufort; English Literature Sarah Westbury - Swanmore; Environmental Science Ellie Passingham - Henry Beaufort; French Craig Warren - Kings; GCSE English Stacey McKay - Falkland Islands Community School; GCSE Maths Mikaela Richardson - Westgate; Geography Luke Emery - Swanmore; German Kimberley Crunden - Swanmore; Government & Politics Richard Last - The Gregg; Health & Social Care Kerri Chadwick - Westgate; History Sarah McCadden - Thornden; ICT National Certificate Dan Fry; ILEX Nadine Carpenter - Perins; Italian Louise Ellett - Perins; Key Skills Award Sarah Cross - Test Valley and Helen Adams - Swanmore; Maths Pure Amir Saei - Cantell; Music Katie Alder - Swanmore; Music Technology Maximillian Fox -Toynbee; Physics David Carton - Kings; Product Design Simon Doran - Perins; Psychology Hoi Chan- Wessex Tutors; Sociology Zoe Edwards -Kings; Spanish Stephanie Milton - Thornden; Sport & PE Adam Sage - Swanmore; Sport BTEC Amery Emery - Swanmore; Study Support Tamar Elderton - Kings and Stephanie Weston - Perins.