HART HOUSE MAKES HISTORY WITH 4TH CONSECUTIVE ACADEMIC CHALLENGE WIN

Hart House won the Griffiths Shield for the fourth consecutive year in Sedbergh School’s Academic Challenge this week. This fiercely contested inter-House competition took place on Sunday 28th February in the School Library, with quizmaster, Historian and author Michael Raw. Robertson House was the first girls’ House to reach the final, and the result was 140 – 190 to Hart House.
 
Quizmaster MAFR said: “This was one of the best competitions in recent years with two excellent semi-finals and a tense final in which both Hart and Robertson showed their versatility and calmness of thought in responding to some challenging questions. These had been written especially for the final. Both Houses should be proud of their performances.”
 
The Final drew huge support from pupils bearing House flags and scarves.  Kate Russell, Hebe Holdsworth, Pollyanna Bell and Amy Brooke competed for Robertson House and Oliver Cowen, James Thomas, Ben Hunt and George Thomas, for Hart.
 
Powell House boys donated the Plate in 2010 to mark Michael Raw’s 25 years of service as House Tutor – this year’s competition saw it go to Carus House. The Shield is the major trophy and no House has won it consecutively for four years until now. 
 
Oliver Cowen, on the winning Hart House side since he was in Year 10, said: “This is one of the big events to win in the school year and the competition this year has been very strong, so we have all been pushed.

Usually, our preparation comes down to regular discussion, watching episodes of University Challenge and from the wide reading we’ve all done from a young age – I would say that each of us in the team has a desire to be as knowledgeable as possible and so we read about subjects we aren’t studying.

Even in my early Sedbergh Prep days in Cressbrook House with Dr Hoskin, I became used to having discussions. It all helps and I would encourage younger pupils to push themselves forward for this kind of competition. The highlight of this year’s competition for me was the Semi-Final against Lupton, when we went to Sudden Death. It was really very tense.”

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