Spelling Bee semi-final creates buzz

Date published: 08 April 2019

Primary schools across the borough have taken part in Rochdale’s first ever Spelling Bee challenge.

Lowerplace Primary School in Rochdale organised a borough-wide event to help improve pupils' spelling and confidence in a fun way, while also bringing children from different schools together.

Following a series of inter school-heats, 32 primary schools chose their spelling bee representatives for the semi-finals, which were held in front of a packed audience at Kingsway Park High School last week.

During the event budding spelling champions were put through their paces with words like ‘perseverance’, ‘unscrupulous’, ‘rejuvenation’ and ‘manoeuvre’.

Now 15 pupils are set to compete in a grand final at Rochdale Town Hall on Monday 20 May 2019.

Clare McGreevy, Rochdale Spelling Bee organiser and teacher at Lowerplace Primary School, said: “I’m delighted to have had so many school take part in this first ever borough-wide Bee. Its’ been a great success so far and we’re looking forward to the final. We hope to see the children really get something out of this event and help improve their spelling as well as bring all schools in the borough together.”

School book provider, Madeline Lindley, provided all semi-finalists with bee-themed books from top children’s authors as prizes.