King’s students are celebrating outstanding success in one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious language competitions, with five students receiving national commendations in the 2026 Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators.
This year, 30 students from Years 9, 10 and 11 represented King’s in the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, a national competition run by the Queen’s Translation Exchange at the University of Oxford. Students submitted entries across Spanish, French, German and Mandarin, showcasing their linguistic talent and creativity.
Named in honour of the renowned translator of the Asterix series, the Anthea Bell Prize, the 2026 competition was its biggest yet, with a record-breaking 25,000 students from 532 schools across the UK taking part. King’s students achieved exceptional results, earning five national commendations. We are so proud of them!
Congratulations to our commended students
- Mila Dieu – Commended in French (North West)
- Ben Hughes and Jude Lake – Commended for their joint entry in Spanish (North West)
- Nidhi Garisa – Commended in German (North West)
- Vienne Wei – Commended in Mandarin (North West)
Miss Cunliffe, who led the competition at King’s, said:
“We are incredibly proud of all of our students who entered this competition. They demonstrated creativity, innovative thinking and resilience throughout the process, bringing our learning habits to life while applying their language skills at the highest level.
"Congratulations to everyone who took part, and a special well done to those students whose outstanding work was recognised with commendations from Oxford University.”
Dr Charlotte Ryland, Director of the Queen’s Translation Exchange at The Queen’s College, Oxford, highlighted the wider value of translation skills:
“The skills developed through translation – critical thinking, problem solving, empathy – set the rising generation up to thrive in our global economy. Our Anthea Bell Prize winners excel in all these skills, and I can’t wait to see what they go on to do.”
This remarkable success is a testament to the strength of language learning at King’s and the enthusiasm of our students for embracing opportunities beyond the classroom. We are delighted to celebrate their achievements and look forward to seeing even more students take part in future competitions.
The names of our commended students are featured on the University of Oxford website: