Schools' Challenge

Schools' Challenge is the national general knowledge competition for schools in the United Kingdom. It uses the same basic rules as University Challenge, although it is affiliated with neither the game nor the television show.

Schools' Challenge has been running since 1979, and is divided into two sections. Senior Schools' Challenge is for students aged up to 18, with no lower age restriction. In practice the teams tend to draw on Form III to Upper VI (Year 9 to Year 13 in maintained schools in England & Wales). Each team comprises four members, two of whom must be no older than the normal age for a Form IV (Year 10) student (in 2011/12, born on or after 1 September 1996, or 1 August 1996 in Northern Ireland). The other two can be of any age. Junior Schools' Challenge is for students up to and including the normal age for a Form II Year 8) student, or preparatory school pupils: in 2011/12, born on or after 1 September 1998 (1 August 1998 in Northern Ireland). Again, there are four members in each team but there are no restrictions on the numbers of any students from a particular age group in this competition.

The competition is divided this way because of the incongruence between the independent school system and grammar or comprehensive schools. In some independent school systems students attend a preparatory school until the age of 13, after which time they transfer to another school. Schools Challenge has had to work around this so that no school has an unfair advantage in terms of age.

The competition is divided up into regions, much like Secondary School public speaking or debating competitions. Each region has a coordinator, the 'Regional Organiser, who in turn answers to the national organizers.

The eight winners of regional competitions take part in the national finals to contest the Schools' Challenge Trophy. Teams who lose in the first round of this contest enter the repechage contest for the Schools' Challenge Plate (and 5th overall place). Finals are usually contested in a single day at a central venue normally in London, but occasionally in other venues central to the qualifying teams.

The most successful team in the competition's history are Westminster School, who won each year from 2005-2009. In addition, they were beaten finalists in 2005 and 2011 and semi-finalists in 2010.

Contents

Competition History - Senior

Year Winners Runners-up Plate winners
1980 King Edward's School, Birmingham unknown unknown
1981 Monmouth School unknown unknown
1982 Brentwood School unknown unknown
1983 King Henry VIII School Abergavenny unknown unknown
1984 Monmouth School unknown unknown
1985 Norwich School unknown unknown
1986 Royal Grammar School, Guildford Stamford School unknown
1987 Dean Close School unknown unknown
1988 The Grange School unknown unknown
1989 Aylesbury Grammar School unknown unknown
1990 King Henry VIII School unknown unknown
1991 Nottingham High School unknown unknown
1992 Bryanston School unknown unknown
1993 Maidstone Grammar School unknown unknown
1994 Maidstone Grammar School unknown unknown
1995 Maidstone Grammar School Lancaster Royal Grammar School Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby
1996 King Edward's School, Birmingham Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby unknown
1997 Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby unknown unknown
1998 The King's School, Canterbury unknown unknown
1999 Devonport High School for Boys Royal Grammar School, Guildford unknown
2000 Colchester Royal Grammar School Royal Grammar School, Guildford unknown
2001 The King's School, Canterbury unknown Royal Grammar School, Guildford
2002 Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School Royal Grammar School, Guildford Woodbridge School
2003 King Edward's School, Birmingham unknown unknown
2004 King Edward's School, Birmingham Westminster School unknown
2005 Westminster School Manchester Grammar School unknown
2006 Westminster School Solihull School unknown
2007 Westminster School Bedford School unknown
2008 Westminster School Manchester Grammar School Abingdon School
2009 Westminster School Lancaster Royal Grammar School Solihull School
2010 Lancaster Royal Grammar School The King's School, Worcester Abingdon School
2011 King Edward's School, Birmingham Westminster School Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Competition History - Junior

Year Winners Runners-up Plate Winners
1980 Port Regis Prep School unknown unknown
1981 Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe unknown unknown
1982 unknown unknown unknown
1983 Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School unknown unknown
1984 King's Hall School, Taunton unknown unknown
1985 Eagle House unknown unknown
1986 Nottingham High School unknown unknown
1987 King Edward VI High School for Girls unknown unknown
1988 Millfield Preparatory School unknown unknown
1989 Bablake School unknown unknown
1990 Exeter School unknown unknown
1991 St Peter’s School, Lympstone unknown unknown
1992 Hutchesons' Grammar School unknown unknown
1993 Dulwich College Preparatory School unknown unknown
1994 Hutchesons' Grammar School unknown unknown
1995 Lancaster Royal Grammar School unknown unknown
1996 King Edward VII School unknown unknown
1997 Devonport High School for Boys unknown unknown
1998 King Edward's School, Birmingham unknown unknown
1999 King Edward's School, Birmingham unknown unknown
2000 Prebendal School unknown unknown
2001 Bourne Grammar School unknown The King's School, Rochester
2002 George Heriot’s School unknown unknown
2003 Manchester Grammar School The King's School, Rochester unknown
2004 Milbourne Lodge Preparatory School unknown unknown
2005 The Cathedral School, Llandaff unknown unknown
2006 The Cathedral School, Llandaff The Junior King's School, Canterbury King Edward's School, Birmingham
2007 Lancaster Royal Grammar School unknown Queen Mary's Grammar School
2008 Lancaster Royal Grammar School Queen Mary's Grammar School Milbourne Lodge Preparatory School
2009 Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby Magdalen College School Devonport High School for Boys
2010 Dollar Academy The Pilgrims' School, Winchester The Cathedral School, Llandaff
2011 The Perse School The Pilgrims' School, Winchester Lancaster Royal Grammar School

On an interesting note, the same pupil has captained two of the last three winning schools-both Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby and Dollar Academy were captained by David Verghese, a former Junior Mastermind.

Rules

The game is played to similar rules to University Challenge. Starter questions are asked to all contestants and the first to buzz must answer immediately (or the full question is passed to the other team). The team that correctly answers a buzzer question is then asked three 'bonus' questions which they may confer on and which may be passed to the other team. The main differences between Schools' Challenge and University Challenge are:

Equipment

8-player lockout buzzers, common in quizzes of this type are used and are supplied by tournament organisers if a hosting school cannot supply the equipment. While tournament rules do not specify a manufacturer, the Jaser Quizmaster system is the de facto standard in many regions.

Organisers

The national competition is organised by Paul and Sue Sims, assisted by regional co-ordinators. Further information is on the Schools' Challenge section of 123quiz