A YOUNG engineer who survived a horrific motorcycle accident on the bike he received the day before for his birthday was among a host of students rewarded for their efforts.
Jack Barnes smashed through the side window of a car that pulled out in front of him as he rode home from Bede Academy, in Blyth.
The T-Level engineering student sustained brain and neck injuries that required emergency surgery with doctors only giving him a 60:40 chance of survival.
Yet he was back in the classroom just three months later catching up on his studies with the help of staff at Bede Academy, which this year won a national award for its T-Level provision.
“I don’t remember anything from the accident until waking up in hospital three days later,” said Jack, 17, who received the Founders Award for Outstanding Student of the Year in the end of term prizegiving.
“It was only a five minute ride home and only the second day on the bike which my granddad had got me for my birthday. It was horrendous. I went headfirst through the window and the glass cut my neck, hand and arm. I had a bleed on the brain which got worse so I had to have surgery.
“I used to have an extremely good memory but found myself forgetting words mid-sentence. But I was determined not to be thrown off track and was back in the classroom three months later because I want to be an engineer working in the renewable energy sector, possibly in Switzerland.”
His granddad David Harwood said: “I wish I’d not bought him the bike. After the accident, as soon as he got home from school he went to bed as he needed 12 hours a day to recover. He didn’t go out and see his friends at all, he just stayed in and studied.”
Bede Academy principal Andrew Thelwell said: “The horrific accident nearly killed Jack and the setback saw him miss a lot of time on the course as he was in and out of hospital for so many weeks. But regardless of the hurdles Jack continues to strive forwards and work with such diligence. He worked extremely hard to catch up and is one of the top students on the course.”
Talented mathematician Harry Thew, who passed his GCSE maths at grade 9 in Year 6 with a higher score than any Year 11 student, continues to flourish and was awarded the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, having just taken his further maths GCSE in Year 8.
The prizegiving assembly heard that he had taken part in the national maths Olympiad achieving a gold medal as the top student in the North East.
Unable to take his A-Level maths early, staff at Bede will have their hands full keeping him busy in Year 9 but he has thrown himself into school life playing drums in the band.
“I was three when my parents realised I was good at maths as I played on an abacus app,” said Harry, whose mother is a maths teacher. “I got full marks this year in the Junior Maths Challenge and a high enough score in the Olympiad to gain gold. Maths has been a passion from a young age as I just enjoy working things out.”
Grade 8 violinist Joe Beall added another string to his bow after collecting the Founding Principal’s Award, in the wake of securing an offer from Oxford University.
A member of his own heavy rock band Pandora, he plans to read philosophy, politics and economics fulfilling a childhood dream of studying at “the best university in the world”.
“I thought the interview went well but had to wait a month to hear back,” said Joe, 18, who played the lead part of Gomez in the recent academy production of The Addams Family.
“Another student heard she had got into Oxford and I was sitting in physics on edge when the email finally came through. I was so happy. I met some other students when I was in Oxford interested in forming a band so I’m looking forward to continuing with my music.”
The other student to secure a place at Oxford, Alysse Clough, 18, was presented with the Thomas Award for Perseverance and Grit and will study experimental psychology at the university.
Liam Stobart-Brown collected the prize for outstanding attendance, the Young Dramatist of the Year was Logan Scantlebury, the Young Musician of the Year was Katie Watson and the Most Promising Musician of the Year was Elliot Harrison.
The Contribution to the Local Community Award went to Rhys Tweddle, while Liam Richmond collected the SONIK Award for extra-curricular involvement.
The Corey Mavin Football Award went to William Mann, the Ellen Raffell Science Award to Isabel Rochester, the Connor Todd Rugby Award to Aidan Charlesworth and the Hunter Photography Award to Ryan Foster.
The Victrix Ludorum was awarded to Isla Nesbitt, Isabella Rose, Evie Gibson and Evie Nesbitt. The Victor Ludorum went to Noah Raisbeck, Liam Spratt, Jayden Fensome and Franky Jagger.
Mr Thelwell told students, parents, carers and staff: “Each one of the pupils in this room is precious, valued and unique. They are gifted for a purpose, to help and inspire others, and we are proud of each and every one of them.”