Essay Commendations

Three Sixth Form Academic Scholars have been highly commended in this year’s Somerville & Gurney Award, with one also scooping the UCL Greek & Latin essay prize.

Claudia, Eleanor and Tasneem were awarded commendations in the Somerville & Gurney prize, open to Lower Sixth students across the Girls’ Day School Trust; their essays were selected from over a hundred entries by Vicky Tuck, a member of the GDST Council. The competition involves sitting a two-and-a-quarter hour general paper, during which entrants write two essays on topics of their choice, ranging from politics to mental health.

Tasneem also triumphed in the 2021 UCL Greek & Latin essay prize, an annual competition that aims to provide insight into university-level research and challenge students’ understanding of the ancient world. Tasneem’s essay focused on the role of fate and free will, comparing Euripides’ ‘Trojan Women’ and Jean Giraudoux’s ‘La Guerre de Troie n’aura pas lieu’,  and was awarded the top prize – an outstanding achievement.