Hethersett Academy D&T Department Student Wins National Design Award

Ben Stosic, a Year 11 student at Hethersett Academy, has been announced as the junior student winner in the National Wool4school Competition 2023.

Ben entered the competition alongside his classmates in the last academic year as a Year 10 student. Wool4school is a national competition that runs each year, the briefs are set, and pupils must produce a range of design pages that include research and a final design. 

For this year’s Wool4School competition, students were invited to design a unique outfit that blends both old and new, featuring pre-loved items and a minimum of 70% Merino wool, nature’s finest natural fibre.  

This year the judging was led by London-based fashion designer, Saul Nash. When judging and commenting on Ben's entry, Saul said:  

“It is clear this designer has done their research on wool and how it can be implemented as a material into Performance wear. They were also environmentally conscious in their approach. This designer’s drawings were clear, and this enabled me to truly understand the intention behind their garments.” 

Ben will receive prizes including a course at the University of the Arts London, an XP-Pen Graphic Tablet, and a 1-year subscription to Vogue magazine. 

Aimee Leggoe, Bens's teacher said:  

“Each year we have entered, the entries from our students have got better and better. We were very excited with the brief set by Wool4school this year as we knew there were some amazing entries by our students, and we were blown away by their attention to detail. I am so proud of Ben and this acknowledgment of the amazing talent he has. This year's entry is now live, and the theme is elements. We are very excited to see the fantastic ideas that our Year 10s will have.” 

Mrs Finlay, Head of D&T said:  

“The whole department was thrilled to learn that Ben had won the 2023 Wool4school competition. We are so proud of him, the entries from the whole class were incredibly strong this year and we must thank Miss Leggoe for giving the pupils this opportunity to compete on a national level.” 

Principal of Hethersett Academy, Jane Diver said: 

“I am particularly proud that Ben is the National winner of the Wool4school competition – this fantastic achievement is only possible due to the talent and dedication of Ben, Ms Leggoe and our Technology teachers. There are no limits to the technological innovations Ben and the students of Hethersett Academy will go on to produce as a result of this sensational team work.”