King's Ely Prep has been crowned a Regional Winner in the 2026 Senior National Reading Champions Quiz! 

You might remember that back in March, eight students from Years 7, 8, and 9 at King's Ely Prep and King's Ely Senior competed in the regional heat of the contest, which was held at Northgate High School in Dereham, Norfolk.

25 teams of pupils from 13 different schools battled it out in the quiz, which is organised annually by The National Literacy Trust, with the support of The Authors’ Licensing Collecting Society.

Both our teams were on awesome form, especially team Evander, Alex, Arya, and Rosie, as they secured a place at the National Finals of the competition, which took place in London before half term.

Wearing their specially designed T-shirts (by Mrs Rachel Axten-Higgs) for the occasion and accompanied by their mascots, the group showed fantastic spirit and determination. They tackled an impressive 80 quiz questions, testing their reading knowledge across a wide range of texts and formats, including multiple choice, true or false, story settings, and even music rounds! 

The competition featured an exciting variety of rounds, including Literacy Linked Map, Hobbies and Pastimes, Story Soundtrack (all-play), Poetry and Verse, Book Brainteasers, Comedy vs Horror, Myths and Legends, and Characters in Fancy Dress. One of the most challenging sections was the Advanced Book Knowledge round, where pupils answered detailed questions on a set text they had read in advance. Arya, Evander, Alex, and Rosie excelled here, achieving the team’s highest score in this round. Other highlights included Librarian Lotto and Reserve Roulette, where prizes were awarded tombola-style, adding an extra layer of fun to the day.

Mrs Katie Mankellow, Head of Years 7 and 8 English at King's Ely Prep, said: "The event was hosted by quizmaster, Mr Dilly, and offered much more than just the competition itself. Pupils enjoyed engaging author Q&A panels featuring Tia Fisher, Christopher Edge, and Elle McNicoll, as well as a lively DJ, creating a vibrant and inspiring atmosphere throughout the day.

"Our brilliant team finished 14th out of 23 teams, scoring an impressive 43 points overall. In addition to their strong performance, they were delighted to receive their Regional Winner trophy, bookmarks, and even had the opportunity to choose four free books each. As an extra bonus, the team also won a free author visit for the school.

"We are incredibly proud of their participation, teamwork, and love of reading - well done to everyone who took part!"