The Croft Primary School, part of The White Horse Federation Multi-Academy Trust, was proud to host the 2025 TWHF Spelling Bee Grand Final recently (on Friday 4th July). Students were welcomed from 21 schools across the Trust, travelling from Swindon, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Reading for a day of competition and celebration.
This year’s event featured a special guest appearance by Ivo Graham, Comedian and star of Taskmaster, as he presented awards to the finalists. As a committed fan of Swindon Town Football Club, Ivo dazzled the audience with his excitement about the club, his collection of home-made football cards and stories about some of his six-year-old daughter’s humorous spelling mistakes.
The school finalists had already competed in their own school competitions to earn the opportunity to take part in the Grand Final. This year’s event was no mean feat, challenging pupils with a demanding list of words such as claustrophobia, philanthropy, and surreptitious, all of which they had been learning and practising in the lead-up to the final.
Last year’s winner, Shanaya Koul from Drove Primary School, was the first ever TWHF Spelling Bee champion and this year’s finalists were eager to follow in her footsteps and take home the trophy. The overall winner of the 2025 event was Avyang Gujjar, a Year 5 pupil from Haydon Wick Primary School, who secured the title with the correct spelling of the challenging word egregious.
Simon Cowley, Primary Director of Education at The White Horse Federation, congratulated all the finalists, saying:
“The Spelling Bee is a brilliant opportunity for students to show their hard work and determination. It’s always inspiring to see young learners take on such a challenge with enthusiasm and pride. Events like this highlight the importance of language and communication in every part of school life. Thank you to all the staff and students involved in making the TWHF Spelling Bee such a success.”
Lisa Davies, Curriculum Lead at The White Horse Federation, added:
“It’s been wonderful to see the excitement and confidence grow in our students as they’ve prepared for this event. The Spelling Bee encourages precision, curiosity, and a real love of words—all of which are vital skills for learning across the curriculum. The standard was so high this year, we almost ran out of words!”
Dan Nicholls, CEO at The White Horse Federation, was also in the audience for the awards ceremony. He commented:
“This is our second TWHF Spelling Bee and a fantastic event that demonstrates inclusivity across our Trust schools and communities. I’m humbled by the effort of our students, parents and partners who travelled here today and by the dedication of our staff and Trust partners, who continue to inspire lives."
“Congratulations to the 2025 champion Avyang Gujjar from Haydon Wick Primary School!”
