Young High Sheriff
Young High Sheriff Competition
The High Sheriff is offering the opportunity for one young person from your school to become a young High Sheriff. You will have the opportunity to accompany the High Sheriff and help them undertake their tradition role and carry out their official duties on behalf of the King, at three or four official events over the year.
Importantly, this provides details about the opportunities for and the role of the Young High Sheriff. Please make this very visible to potential competition entrants.
Young High Sheriff – opportunities and role.
Your Young High Sheriff and Under Sheriffs will have the opportunity to act as an educator and an ambassador on the role of the King’s High Sheriff within their peer groups. They will be invited to join the High Sheriff and attend three or more events, (formal and informal) in the year and undertake responsibilities to recognise outstanding charity and voluntary service within their community. At school, the Young High Sheriff and Under Sheriffs will
have a leadership role: to promote and encourage attendance at the “Have Your Say” and “Make a Difference: workshops; that will take place in the months following the announcement of the competition winners.
As the High Sheriff is the ceremonial figurehead for law and order and the judiciary, the Young High Sheriff is the ceremonial figurehead for the Young High Sheriff programme at school.
The Young High Sheriff Programme harnesses the ancient traditions surrounding the role of High Sheriff and embraces its modern purpose.
Please click the link for a video with further information Young High Sheriff Video
As this is a very high-profile competition, winners may be filmed by local news.This is an opportunity to stand out and be a part of something unique.
The competition task:
Produce a 3-minute video clip or write a 500-word essay, or 200-word poem on why you would want to be High Sheriff for the day.
Some of the features we are looking for are below however, this is an open task and each piece will go through a judging process. A small team of teaching professionals from your school will judge all entries and will put forward the top 25 to the High Sheriff’s community judging panel.
Competition rules:
The competition is open to Years 10-13 at your school.
Your competition entry must be original and all your own work.
There is a 10% tolerance on word count and timing of video clips.
All submissions must be submitted by email by Friday 3rd October to younghighsheriffentries@ashlawn.tlet.org.uk
Any late entries will not be considered.
For safeguarding reasons, video clip filming must be undertaken in a public place in neutral clothing (not school uniform).
Winners entries may be shared via PR locally and potentially nationally and winners will be photographed for same purposes with the High Sheriff and judging panels.
Judges decisions are final and judges will disregard any inappropriate submissions.
Participants agree to take part in two or three facilitated workshops with other competition finalists to share ideas and develop a plan for a crime prevention initiative.
Winners will be announced at the Young High Sheriff for a day Competition Winners Event on Monday 20th October.
Video clips should not include personal information, such as age, school or where you live.
Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene, offensive, or any other unsuitable material; the High Sheriff reserves the right to disqualify entries containing such matter. Entries must be suitable to be broadcast, published or used online by the High Sheriff, Rugby High School and the competition organiser for audiences of all ages. If the story has troubling content, the High Sheriff, School and the competition organiser may if required take advice from the NSPCC, and may refer the troubling content to the relevant authorities. For information Child Protection Safeguarding Policy 2024 - 2025
Judging criteria
Presentation
Presentation of the essay / poem is sophisticated and shows personal flair
It enhances the overall idea and concept of the piece
Understanding
Answers will display a good understanding of the role and/or history of the High Sheriff
A convincing and compelling personal response
Written structure
Answers will be well-organised and coherent
Well-crafted and fluent with inventive structural features
Extensive and ambitious vocabulary used appropriately
Evidence of research
Content demonstrates that research of the current and past role of the High Sheriff, has been carried out
SPAG
High level of accuracy in all spelling
Any punctuation used is relevant and correct
The response is grammatically correct
Overall and particularly for spoken entries, your goal is to communicate successfully.
Competition Timetable 2025:
Competition Launch - 11th September
Competition Entry Deadline - 3rd October
1st and 2nd round of judging completed - 10th October
Winners Event - 20th October
Prizes
£250 cash prize for the Winner.
A day, (or part days) spent with the High Sheriff to act in a support capacity and assist them in their formal duties on behalf of the King.
A ceremonial robe to wear for the day.
£50 vouchers for two Under-Sheriffs, (runners up).
How to apply
Please send your entry to younghighsheriffentries@ashlawn.tlet.org.uk
Important: within the email, to accompany your entry please include:
Your name.
Form teachers name and email.
Parent / guardian name and email.
This information is important because:
Any queries about your entry will be directed back to you and include your form teacher.
If you are selected as a competition finalist, you and your parents / guardians will be invited to the competition winners’ event. At that time, your parents / guardians will be asked to complete a form providing consent to photography at the winners’ event and to using your name and school in press and PR communications. If you are 18 or over at the time of the winners’ event, you will be asked to provide this consent.
Written entries will be printed and circulated to judges.
Please ensure your name is visible on your entry when printed.
Your entry, (if written) should be printable on A4 paper. We advise you run a test print of your entry, before submission, to ensure you are happy with the presentation when printed.
At the end of the competition, all personal data will be deleted. Your entry will be retained for PR purposes only.
