Winning gold at the Cheerleading Worlds is something most athletes only dream of, but for Tilly G and her teammates at Unity Allstars Flame, that dream became reality through hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Tilly is part of Unity Allstars Flame, an all-girl under-18 team that became World Champions in their very first year as a Cheerleading Worlds team. Their achievement is even more impressive because many teams spend years trying to qualify for the Cheerleading Worlds, let alone win gold. Over the past year, Tilly has shown huge commitment to cheerleading. Since joining Unity Allstars, she and her family have travelled around three hours each way to training twice a week. This meant long nights travelling home, balancing schoolwork alongside training, and giving up so much of her free time to follow her passion. Cheerleading at this level requires strength, teamwork, trust, and determination. Athletes spend hours perfecting routines, stunts, tumbling, and dance sections, all while learning to perform under pressure. Despite the challenges, Tilly continued to work hard and support her team every step of the way. As a first-year Cheerleading Worlds team, Flame exceeded expectations throughout the competition. On day one, the team suffered a minor fall during their routine, resulting in deductions to their score. Despite this, they still finished the day in 1st place and qualified for day two. Determined to prove themselves, Flame returned to the floor on day two with confidence and absolutely smashed the routine, the atmosphere in the area was amazing , they delivered a powerful, clean routine with zero deductions. Their outstanding performance secured them the title of World Champions, winning their division by an incredible 10-point margin and bringing home the gold medal. Something that Tilly will remember for the rest of her life. Her journey shows that success comes from perseverance, commitment, and believing in yourself. Behind the gold medal are months of sacrifice, hard work, and determination, making this achievement even more special.

On 6 May, we were joined by parents and peers of the Lower 5 Drama class for an evening of three short plays: The Monstrum , The Trials , and Blackout . The pupils began rehearsals at the start of the Lent Term and have been working towards this showcase during lesson time. Each play explored incredibly relevant themes, and the process encouraged the students to engage with more challenging material, which they performed with conviction. The evening began with The Monstrum , a piece from the National Theatre Connections catalogue. The story is set in a cold village where a mysterious disease begins infecting the young, transforming them into monstrous creatures. The use of shadows created a striking visual effect, complemented by powerful and characterful performances from the cast, who tackled the subject matter with confidence and sensitivity. This was followed by The Trials , recently performed by an adolescent cast at the Donmar Warehouse. The play imagines a not-so-distant future where a jury of children are tasked with deciding whether the adults are guilty or not guilty based on their actions during the climate crisis. The students approached the script with maturity and conviction, drawing the audience in through pacey deliberations and compelling arguments. The evening concluded with Blackout , another play from NT Connections. It tells the story of a troubled young offender in Glasgow who wakes up in a jail cell with little recollection of the events that led him there. Originally performed as a one-man show, this production divided the role among a cast of ten, resulting in a dynamic and fast-paced piece, enriched by the varied interpretations of the same character.