GAZETTE: CHIPPENHAM'S Sheldon School almost burst with pride on Thursday night as talented students received rewards for high standards of work, commitment and citizenship.

The Awards Evening is the most prestigious event in the school calendar and parents, governors and councillors turned out to see more than 80 pupils collect certificates and trophies.

Head Gerard MacMahon said: "As well as the students being awarded for academics it was great to see students being recognised for their contributions to sport and art.

"I think it's right that we celebrate the successes of our pupils."

Two awards for outstanding achievement were a surprise to the recipients.

Camilla Finch, 15, won the Newsam Award, which is given to the pupil who has contributed most to the life of the school in years seven to nine.

"It's quite a shock," she said. "I came to the school partially through year seven because we moved, but I've represented the school and Wiltshire in lots of sports. It's mostly athletics but I do rounders, badminton, netball, hockey whatever's going really."

She added: "I'm really happy and my mum's really proud. She's done most of the running around taking me to games."

Sarah Cowen, 16, who has just started studying for AS levels, scooped the head of year award, for academic excellence.

She said: "I'm very happy. I wasn't expecting to get a cup."

Rachael Parkin, 16, who is hoping to study law at Southampton University, was presented with the Westcode Science Award. It is awarded to the student with outstanding examination results in GCSE science. Rachael achieved an A*.

"I'm very pleased to have won," she said.

The Octoprint Design Technology Award was handed to Christopher Buckle, 16, for being an outstanding GCSE design and technology student.

"DT is my favourite subject," he said. "So I took two, woodwork and graphics. I'm very pleased to have won because there's a lot of other people who could've got it."

Hannah Cox, 15, was officially announced head girl on the evening.

Working with the head boy and their deputies, their duties include assigning prefects, speaking at awards evenings and showing parents round the school.

Hannah said: "I thought if I could be prefect, I would go one better and try and be head girl. And I thought it would be an honour to represent the school.

"I'm looking forward to the year ahead so I can get stuck in."

To become heads of the school, students had to complete a presentation in front of Mr MacMahon, their head of year and the deputy head of year on what they would bring to the role.

Stuart Dingle, 15, who was crowned head boy, said: "It was a five-minute presentation and it was nerve-wracking, but it was quite good fun.

"Being head boy is a lot of responsibility, but I enjoy having it and having lots of people to look after.

"It's a nice feeling to know people can look to me if they need help."

Stuart, who aspires to be a lawyer, hopes to study at Oxford when he has completed his A Levels.

The position of deputy head boy was awarded to Josh Payne, 15.

Josh, who is hoping to go to university but is keeping his career options open, said: "We all work as a team and I'm looking forward to starting. I like that I'm a role model to pupils at the school."

Toshi Wilkins, 15, will be supporting Hannah as deputy head girl. She said: "The presentation was a little bit nerve-wracking because I was the last one to go in and everyone else was coming out with red faces, but they made you feel really comfortable and treated you like an adult."

Toshi thinks her involvement in extra curricular activities helped her to win the role.

"I do everything," she said. "I've been team captain, which gives good organisational skills, so that definitely helps."

The head boy and girl presented £50 to the Gazette's Lydia appeal on behalf of the school.

Gazette editor Gary Lawrence was guest of honour and presented the award winners with their prizes.

He told the youngsters in the audience not to worry if they did not have a clear idea of what they wanted to do when they left school and said he had originally gone into catering and worked in a supermarket before becoming a journalist after realising he would never make a footballer for West Ham.