The Kerr Prize
Many alumni will remember Bob Kerr who taught Modern Languages at Loughborough Grammar School for over 30 years between 1990 and 2021. Known for being modest, caring and inspirational; Mr Kerr was such a positive influence on his pupil’s lives that one has created The Kerr Prize in his honour.
The Kerr prize encourages Year 12 boys to write an essay about a topic they are passionate about. Some 20 pupils entered this year and we were delighted to welcome Mr Kerr and Tom Owen (LGS, 2007) back to the Sixth Form Centre to present the prizes.
First prize went to Jamie who wrote an essay called, ‘Should social media platforms regulate the content that users post? Should they have to?’
"I read a news article asking if social media platforms should regulate the content that users post and thought I’d try to answer the question myself. I freely wrote what came to mind and then found supporting evidence and built on from that. I really enjoyed having the independence to select a topic myself and it enabled me to feel more confident in my own work. "
"I’d absolutely encourage future students to enter the Kerr Prize as it’s an opportunity to read into things that you otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to – you may even stumble across a specialty that you want to study further down the line. My aspirations are to study law at university before becoming a Solicitor or an in-house counsel."
Laura-Jane Ryves, Director of Development, said “This year’s Kerr Prize entrants were exceptional! Boys entered essays on diverse topics ranging from football to economic growth, space, LGBT and climate change. We are very grateful to Tom for supporting this initiative and encouraging boys to be curious and pursue a topic they are passionate about outside of the curriculum.”