A North East student newspaper has been named the best in the UK at the national school media awards.

The Hummersknott Academical, the student-led school newspaper for Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, won Best Newspaper and Best Front Page at the Shine School Media Awards.

Outgoing editor, Owen Ovens, 16, who was also Highly Commended for the Terry Mansfield Award for Tomorrow’s Talent, said: “When I became editor of the Hummersknott Academical, I never dared hope we would become the best school newspaper in the country.

(Image: Shine School Media Awards)

“To win is an honour and a true reflection of the hard work and dedication shown by the team. No words can sum up the gratitude we all feel to have won this highly respected award.

“I am so proud to have left the paper on such a high note. As my time comes to an end at Hummersknott, and I move onto Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, I am filled with gratitude for the unwavering support we received from both the school and from Mr Webber during my time as editor.”

Teacher Dominic Webber, who oversees the project, previously won Most Inspirational Teacher at last year's awards ceremony. He accompanied Owen and the paper’s new editors, Olivia Smith and Jack Machin, to the awards ceremony in London.

Hummersknott Academy – which is part of the Advance Learning Partnership – was also Highly Commended for Best Scoop for an exclusive interview with then-Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and Best Short Fiction for ‘The Tortoise Through Time’ by Jeremy Burns.

Head of School, Nick Merifield, said: “We’re overjoyed that The Hummersknott Academical has received such incredible national recognition. They beat out some fantastic publications from all over the country to win, many from fee-paying private schools.

“It’s a testament to the phenomenal level of time and effort that the student news team and the staff members supporting them put in almost entirely outside of school hours. We couldn’t be prouder."