Pupils at Keswick School have progressed through to the national final of the Bar Mock Trial competition following an impressive victory in the regional round at the Newcastle Quayside Law Courts.
The team first overcame St Bede’s Catholic School before beating Durham Sixth Form College and twice took on and defeated last year’s winners, Queen Elizabeth High School.
Prosecution barrister Ellie Turnbull, a pupil in Year 12, described the experience as “really intense” and “an incredible experience”.
They met challenging opposition from Queen Elizabeth School in the final and it was difficult to determine who would run out eventual winners. But the many weeks of hard work, preparation and late nights paid off for the Keswick pupils who were delighted to secure victory.
The Bar Mock Trial Club has run for eight years at Keswick School, and even in the face of Covid-19, the school managed to compete in 2022 via Zoom.
Court reporter Ella Armstrong said getting to experience the competition at Newcastle Quayside had given pupils “an unforgettable insight into the legal system”. She added that attending inter-school events in-person again after two years of lockdowns and social distancing had been extremely enriching and rewarding, especially for students that had endured so much disruption to their learning.
Ellie said it was rare to get work experience as a barrister and this competition had helped to fill gaps in her knowledge and cement her future career aspirations.
Mel Avery, head of careers at the school, said the competition had served to boost the confidence of students and enhance their team building skills.
“Winning, of course, is a bonus, but it’s not why we do this,” she said. “They (the pupils) learn so much about the UK legal system and the pathways open to them. It’s brilliant.”
Keswick Lions and Lucy Fuggle, from Oglethorpe & Broach, were thanked for helping the pupils and for their mentoring skills.
The national final will be held in London.
