A STUDENT radio station celebrated it's successes with an awards evening.

On Tuesday, 1 May the Wellington Academy held an evening to celebrate students involved in the schools radio station.

DukeBox is the official radio station for the wellington family of schools which are based in Tidworth, as well as Berkshire, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Bangkok. The station was set up as a way of connecting all of these schools, making the group the only secondary schools in the world to have a 24 hour a day station for it's students.

The evening was primarily for rewarding the students who come in and present an hour long show every single week.

Elliot Sharman, station manager at DukeBox Radio said:"Personally, I'm extremely proud of all our students. Every week they come in to the studio, get their heads down and produce incredible content for the air. That's what this evening was all about, celebrating the fact that they're capable of doing things that your average teenager isn't.

"I'm proud to be a part of something that has the potential to become a normal part of, not just our curriculum, but every school's in the country. It gives pupils massive confidence boosts and teaches them key skills like planning, public speaking and how to cope under pressure. Things that your everyday subjects do not. It's revolutionary, and we're very proud to be the first."

The evening began with a social gathering in the atrium of The Wellington Academy with food and drinks. Among those in attendance were Lieutenant Colonel Simon Doyle, commanding officer of 26 Engineer Regiment, Julian Thomas Master of Wellington College, Abrilli Phillip, head of The Wellington Academy, Katie Breathwick presenter on Classic FM, as well as various members of staff, students and their parents.

Certificates were awarded to every student who had in some way contributed to the stations success. Extra awards were also given to students who had gone above and beyond in certain areas. winners included;

• Jack Brett & Casey Oatley (Year 11) - Best Specialist Show for 'The JC Rock Show'

• Aaron Goodall (Year 9) - Most Hardworking Student

• Adam Bailey & Harvey Perry (Year 7) - Best Double Act

• Toby Bridle (Year 8) - Most Creative Show for 'Memes & Music'

• Beanie Hill (Year 7) - Best Presenter

After the awards, the DukeBox studio was officially declared open in a ribbon cutting ceremony, with Julian Thomas given the honour of cutting the ribbon.