A North Wales school only founded seven years ago is in the running for one of the most prestigious awards in the annual public school Oscars.

Myddelton College, Denbigh, has been short-listed for Co-Educational School of the Year in the Independent Schools of the Year awards to be announced at a ceremony in London this month.

The school, which only opened its doors in 2016, is alongside some of the UK’s oldest and most famous private schools including the likes of Rugby, Roedean, Strathallan, Shrewsbury School and Wales’s only other finalist Cardiff High School.

In their category they will be battling it out with the likes of Charterhouse, founded in 1611 and whose former pupils include the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and King’s Worcester, which dates back to 1541 and whose first headmaster was appointed by Henry VIII.

Myddelton College Headmaster Andrew Allman said: “We’re keeping exalted company and the schools in the finals include some of the oldest and best-known in the world.

“But we have seen tremendous growth in the past 12 months and have made remarkable progress and we believe that our commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and holistic education has paved the way for numerous achievements and innovative initiatives that set us apart.

“Our student body has grown from 65 to over 350 and this is a testimony to the trust and confidence parents have placed in our ability to nurture and educate their children.

“We are proud of our Combined Cadet Force Gold Employer Recognition Award, while we are one of the few schools in Wales to receive Military recognition, enabling us to provide specialised support to boarders from military backgrounds.

“We are also the only Microsoft Showcase School in Wales and have been selected to participate in trials for Microsoft’s new technologies, ensuring our students stay at the forefront of digital learning and innovation.

“We have invested time in developing football, tennis, basketball, and equestrian academies and our Outdoor Education Program has become a cornerstone of our curriculum, encouraging students to develop leadership skills and resilience.

“We also promote a worldwide outlook, releasing a song to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey and have forged links with schools around the world

“We embrace Mindfulness to encourage emotional wellbeing through activities ranging from horse riding to yoga, LGBTQ Pride to gardening, and we have built strong bonds with the local community by making many of our facilities available to local clubs and organisations.”

In September two students from the school began their studies at Oxford University with Penny Johnson, from Colwyn Bay, at Somerville College to study Psychology and Linguistics while Coby Chan, from Hong Kong, winner of a gold award at the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad, is reading Chemistry at Wadham College.

Myddelton College, an award winning Independent co-educational day and boarding school, was the UK’s newest independent school when it opened in the autumn of 2016 and is the only school in North Wales with a 5G network.

The school currently has 353 pupils, 102 of them boarders and 70 staff, 35 of them teachers and Mr Allman added: “Our aim is to provide a well-rounded education and give all our pupils a breadth of opportunity, indoors and outdoors, including the chance to work with and form bonds with people and countries all over the world.”

For more information about Myddelton College go to https://www.myddeltoncollege.com/For more information about Myddelton College go to https://www.myddeltoncollege.com/