Lord Lexden, ISA President, awards the Lexden Prize for the first time

The Lexden Prize, a national award established in ISA President Lord Lexden’s name, has been awarded for the first time in a ceremony at the House of Lords.

The prize’s purpose is to celebrate the achievements of sixth-formers in the our 500+ member schools—not just academic achievements, but also contributions to school life and service to the wider community. It is on that basis that nominations were invited from schools.

The winner of the first Lexden prize was Abhiram Sasitharan. Forced to flee his native Sri Lanka, he was brought up and educated in Botswana before gaining a place at Oxford International College earlier this year. In its nomination, the College stated: ‘ Abhiram’s  academic  record—11 A*GCSE  grades, the highest-scoring student in Botswana; the  highest computer science score  in the world; success in mathematics, physics  and most recently Chemistry Olympiad—speaks  for itself’. The College added: ‘his quiet modesty means that his international chess matches, cultural passion and academic recognition at both national and international level are rarely mentioned… His maturity and selflessness have deeply impressed his teachers’.

It was to this remarkable young man that Alistair Lexden presented the prize at a ceremony in the Lords on 16 October. He wrote afterwards: ‘ I would  like to express my gratitude for the recognition of my efforts and for the kind words you said about me. The event made a big impact on me.’