On Friday 2^nd February, the 12 schools which form the South West Academic Trust (S.W.A.T. -  a partnership of leading grammar schools in the South West & the University of Exeter) met to compete for the first ever S.W.A.T. Challenge Cup. Teams of students from across the S.W.A.T. alliance worked to provide the best solution to a challenging real-world problem; in this instance, “How can Britain sustain its economic prosperity, social harmony and international standing in a post-Brexit world?”

Teams consisted of four members and the rules state that there must be at least three school years between the youngest and the oldest team members. On the day, each team delivered a 5 to 10 minute presentation addressing the question at hand, then underwent a grilling from one of the other schools. The formidable judging panel, which included Neil Parish, Minister of Parliament, as well as members of Exeter University’s Politics and International Relations department, awarded the trophy to the team from Torquay Girls’ Grammar School for their thorough research, quality of presentation, plausibility of proposals and teamwork.

A member of the winning TGGS team, said “We were really nervous on the way to the event, and expected the competition to be challenging, with so many excellent schools involved. In the end, all the time we put into preparation paid off and we were able to deliver a clear argument and easily answer the questions posed in the interrogation section. We went for a positive outlook on the topic, which was a bit different and may have helped us to stand out from the other schools.”

Dr Nick Smith, Headteacher, said “The girls have risen to this challenge with typical TGGS spirit and determination. We are extremely proud of them and thrilled to have brought home the first ever S.W.A.T. Challenge Cup.”