Enterprising Walter named inaugural winner of ISA Maxwell Prize; St Dominic’s Priory School left proud

2022-23 has welcomed the inaugural ISA Maxwell Prize, which celebrates the achievements of Year 6 pupils, and we are delighted to announce Walter from St Dominic’s Priory School as the first ever winner of this award.

The Maxwell Prize, a non-academic award named in honour of Stanley Maxwell, a lifelong contributor to the Independent Schools Association (ISA), values commitment to school and community life.

Walter has established himself as a leader in the St Dominic’s Priory School community. The Year 6 student excels beyond the sports field – where he represents St Dominic’s Priory in almost everything from athletics to cricket and football, the stage – on which Walter has earned a scholarship for his musical craft, to the wider community around him that he serves by organising charitable drives to support those in need and causes that inspire those around him.

Celebrations are also in order for Charlotte, Yusuf and Samara, from The Kingsley School, St Joseph’s Park Hill School and St Gerard’s School respectively, who received Highly Commended honours.

Walter has been a driving force for charity work, facilitating events for both his school and local community on several occasions. When war struck Ukraine he wished to do something to help the children impacted by the conflict. Walter organised a ‘pop-up restaurant’, transforming the garden in his own home to make this happen. The youngster designed menus, which catered to the dietary requirements of many, and built a website and booking software to arrange reservations. The fundraiser wouldn’t have been possible without the volunteering of other children, and Walter managed the entire restaurant, ensuring that tables were waited on, food came flowing in, not to mention the myriad of mocktails. The result was over £500 raised for UNICEF Children in Ukraine.

Walter has always committed himself to charitable causes. At the age of just 7 he led a fundraising event for the Crown Wharf Theatre, a new theatre in Stone that required funding. The highlight was an open mic talent contest arranged by Walter, supported by a range of games and food sales, all of which raised £575.

In the sporting arena, Walter is involved with the St Dominic’s Priory teams for tennis, cross country, table tennis, athletics, swimming, cricket and football, participating in several ISA Sport events along the way such as the National Finals which take place at the iconic St George’s Park and the ISA Athletics finals that saw hundreds participate at the Alexander Stadium last month.

For his local football club, it was Walter’s character and sportsmanship that set the goalkeeper apart and earned him the accolade of Manager’s Player of the Year.

In the Arts, Walter was recently granted a scholarship. A pianist and drummer, he has been involved in many concerts and shows, even supporting the school’s recent production of ‘The X Factory’ with a leading role. Of course, he used his experience from the ‘pop-up restaurant’ endeavour to set up a ticketing system for the school community to book their seats for the show online.

His creative side knows no bounds as he enjoys being a part of the choir, drama club, percussion ensemble and LAMDA lessons.

The annual ‘Form Markets’ are also something that Walter has played an integral part in for St Dominic’s Priory, which sees each form develop their own stall and engage in some friendly competition to raise money for the school. This is a whole-school event for both the Prep and Senior stages.

Last year’s theme was the Queen’s Jubilee and required pupils to plan the equipment they’d need, all with budgets in mind and design promotional material to set them apart from the crowd. Walter met with staff and students to ensure the day ran smoothly.

Walter now turns his attention to preparing to take to the decks as the DJ for the Prep school’s ball this month.

Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, Chief Executive Officer of ISA, reflected on the Maxwell Prize 2023:

“It is an honour for ISA to recognise Walter as the inaugural winner of the Maxwell Prize. He is clearly someone who grasps opportunities with both hands and one who relishes the challenge of new things. Walter demonstrates these characteristics in continuing to play an integral role for St Dominic’s Priory School in whole-school events from productions to the annual Form Markets. He’s willing to tackle any and all tasks, an approach that has seen him earn impressive accolades in numerous sports and the arts.

“With the introduction of the Maxwell Prize, ISA can extend the celebrations of the fantastic contributions that pupils make across our Association with an award dedicated to primary school students. This sits together with the Whitbread and Lexden Prizes that older pupils have valued for many years.”

The Maxwell Prize is a celebration for all 49 nominees of the award. It’s an honour to recognise their all-around contribution to school and community life, as well as outstanding achievement in many fields. Each nominee takes pride of place on the Maxwell Roll of Honour, which can be viewed here.

ISA President Lord Lexden will host Walter at the House of Lords to present him with his trophy, certificate and other prizes.