And The Winner Is...

IT IS WITH great excitement that we can announce that

Cramlington Village Primary School

from Northumberland

is the winner of the inaugural

Britannica Magazine Schools Quiz Challenge!

THEIR ALARMS were set for 4am to catch the early train from Northumberland to London, but despite the early start, a team of four primary school brain-boxes went on to win the inaugural Britannica Magazine Schools Quiz Challenge in a nail-biting contest!

The team of four: Kevin, 10, Eeva, 10, Jack, 9, and Megan,9, triumphed by just 2 points over secondary school rivals Soham Village College. The final result, in the fastest -finger buzzer finals, was Cramlington 12, Soham 10.

Sarah Koratzitis, Vice Principal at Cramlington Village Primary School, said the experience was possibly the most exciting extra-curricular event of their lifetimes. “Taking part today is something these children will never forget – it’s absolutely a forever moment for them and we couldn’t be more proud of their achievement!”

Scores between Cramlington and Soham were neck and neck right up to the last minute of the grand finale. “When Jack buzzed in with his answer to the final question you could have heard a pin drop as he searched deep into his brain for the answer,” explained quizmaster and world history author, Christopher Lloyd. “and then when he came out with the correct answer, the room erupted with joy and applause! It couldn’t have been more dramatic and exciting,” he said.

The live finals took place on Wednesday 30th November at St Bride’s Foundation, just off Fleet St in London. Eight schools from all over the UK took part: Stenness Community School (Orkney), Goodwyn School (London), Cramlington Village Primary School (Northumberland) and Alleyn’s Junior School (London) were in the 8-11 age group while The Hayesbrook Academy (Tonbridge), Soham Village College (Cambridgeshire), Killicomaine Junior High School (Ulster) and Chipping Campden School (Gloucestershire) were in the 11-14 age group.  They qualified from a field of more than 80 schools that entered the contest at the beginning of the month after winning a brain-teasing series of online heats.

In the morning, the final eight teams listened to Christopher Lloyd taking them on an epic voyage through the 13.8 billion-year history of the universe through the 8 chapters of the best-selling Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopaedia: What We Know and What We Don’t.

The contestants, in their teams of four, were presented with a series of questions based on the talk, which were then marked. After lunch, the teams coming 3rd and 4th in each age category were lined up in a fastest-finger-on-the-buzzers play off for 3rd and 4th place. The teams with the highest scores in each age category then played off in the afternoon to see who would win first place. The two winning teams from each category, Cramlington for the 8-11 and Soham for the 11-14, then brain-wrestled in the grand finale for the honour and prize of being overall winner.

All questions came from this year’s issues of Britannica Magazine, a monthly non-fiction magazine for children aged 7-14, launched earlier this year.

Lloyd said witnessing these incredible children showing off their general knowledge was nothing short of stunning: “ I have to say in all my career I can’t think of a more uplifting, joyful day. The children were just fantastic. Their knowledge, their passion for learning and their respectfulness for all contestants was exemplary.”

The event was attended by an audience of more than 100 teachers and supporting parents. One school, Stenness Community came all the way from Orkney, after raising several thousand pounds in a crowd-funding campaign so that the students could attend the finals. The Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland attended the championships in the afternoon to support his young constituents.

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Following the quiz finals, The Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael, MP, tabled the following Early Day Motion in the UK House of Commons:

646 - Britannica Magazine Schools Quiz Championship 2022

Tabled: 1/12/22 Signatories: 1

Mr Alistair Carmichael

That this House congratulates the organisers of, and all schools that took part in, the first Britannica Magazine Schools Quiz Championship, in particular those schools that took part in the finals of the championship on 30 November 2022 in London; notes in particular the participation of pupils from Stenness Community School in Orkney, who were able to make the 1000-mile round trip to London thanks to generous donations from across the community; believes that making learning and reading fun and engaging for young people is a vital part of a well-rounded education; and looks forward to further Britannica competitions and similar events aimed at encouraging young people across the United Kingdom to come together to share their enthusiasm for learning and general knowledge.

Click here for the official
early day motion Weblink

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Killicomaine Junior High School flew in from Ulster, while all the others battled with the trains to ensure they arrived in good time for the 10.30am start. The pupils and staff from Cramlington had the earliest start of all, boarding the 05.01 early train from Newcastle to London.

Soham and Cramlington, winners of each of the age categories, each won £500 worth of non-fiction books for their schools, while everyone who took part was awarded trophies and medals in a prize-giving ceremony. The biggest trophy of all, of course, went to Cramlington Village Primary, who beat their older rivals from Soham.

“It just goes to prove my theory,” said Lloyd, “which has been developed over many years of giving schools talks and workshops, that in our species, Homo Sapiens, peak curiosity usually occurs at about the age of ten!”

Jon Hampson, Headteacher of Soham Village College said he was immensely proud of his students’ achievement.

“They worked very hard to prepare for the finals and we are delighted that they placed top of all the secondary schools that participated in the competition. Their achievement is a real testament to all their dedication and preparation. The Britannica Magazine School's Quiz has been a great way for our students to engage with the wonders of non-fiction.”

Chris Routh, organiser of National Non-Fiction November on behalf of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, helped present the trophies.

“It was such a pleasure to be a partner for this event, the perfect end to Non-Fiction November. Congratulations on a magnificent day of quizzing. As exhausting as it was, it was an absolute joy to see so many children and young people engaged with information and caught up in the excitement of competing,” she said.

Christopher Fordham, one parent who attended the event, said on leaving the event he felt much more optimistic about Britain and its children. “They were all so enthusiastic, clever, immaculately behaved and well informed.” 

Huge thanks go to John Gordon-Reid from Britannica Magazine who organised the whole event and set the questions. 

Schools wishing to apply for next year’s championship should join the Britannica Magazine Schools Club, which costs nothing and provides access to the digital editions of each magazine free of charge.

Britannica Magazine Schools Quiz Challenge

Official Results

8 to 11yrs age group: 

• Winner: Cramlington Village Primary School – Cramlington, Northumberland

• Silver: Alleyn's Junior School - Dulwich, London

• Bronze: Goodwyn School - Mill Hill, London

• Runners Up:Stenness Community School - Orkney

11 to 14yrs age group: 

• Winner: Soham Village College – Ely, Cambridgeshire

• Silver: The Hayesbrook Academy – Tonbridge, Kent

• Bronze: Killicomaine JHS – Portadown, County Armagh

• Runners Up: Chipping Campden School – Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire