STUDENTS and staff at a Teesside school once threatened with closure are celebrating after winning the North of England regional final of a prestigious ‘mock trial’ competition.

A team of junior ‘lawyers’ from St Peter’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in South Bank, Middlesbrough, an 11-16 school, triumphed over teams from some of the best schools in the North of England in the regional final of the Citizenship Magistrates Mock Trial Competition held at Kendal Magistrates Court in Cumbria.

Head teacher Pamela Hanraham said: “This is the first time St.Peters has entered this national competition and we were aware that all of the other participating schools in Kendal were 11-18 schools. These are some of the best schools from the North of England.

“Four years ago there was a serious attempt to close St.Peters and this competition has helped to shine a light on the strength of the curricular and extra- curricular educational diet which our school offers the local community and why we are now an oversubscribed school. This competition also bears testimony to the fact that our school is now able to compete with the best schools and come out on top.

“We will be going to the National Final in June in Birmingham to compete with other regional winners from Northern Ireland and throughout the country to be the National Champions. Nobody is any longer promoting the idea that St.Peters needs to close.

“Rather the challenge for us is to make sure that we can provide the educational resources for all the students who want to come to our school in the coming years.”

She said the St Peter’s team prepared their case very thoroughly, worked very hard and learnt how to take on all the roles as barristers, solicitors and magistrates.

Student and team captain, Harry Twohig said, “This competition has changed my life and those of other team members. I am now having serious thoughts about going to Oxford to read Law and becoming a barrister.”