Annual presentation of The Simon Nicholls D&T Award

The award is funded by the Bryanston Parents’ Association (BPA) and is presented each year to a pupil who has excelled across the GCSE Design & Technology course and, since moving into the sixth form, has demonstrated a true understanding of the School’s values, as well as commitment to the subject.

Head of Design & Technology Chris Mills commented: “Fiona is a very deserving recipient of this special award and always goes above and beyond. She is a talented design and technologist, with a charming and unassuming nature who has impressed us at every stage of her work.

“Fiona topped the performance tables last year at GCSE, designing and making a fantastic lighting system with stained glass, which still hangs in our workshop. She’s an all-rounder: on paper, on the computer and in the workshop, and has made a terrific start to her IB D&T course since September.”

The prestigious award is in honour of Simon Nicholls, an inspirational D&T teacher, highly respected colleague and friend, who sadly passed away two years ago this week. Simon taught at Bryanston from 2016 and in the few years that followed, his contribution to the Department was remarkable.

To commemorate Simon, Chris Mills worked in conjunction with the BPA and Simon’s family to bestow a very special award in his name, of which the first recipient was Lola P last year. After being presented to and engraved for the deserving pupil, the shield hangs in the D&T Department, mounted by the door of the new sixth form classroom which is aptly named Nicholls.

In addition to being presented with the award, Fiona will be given £400 towards supporting a D&T project and/or to cover the cost of a design, engineering or other related course.