It is an annual competition that tests pupils on their ability to spell and to find mistakes in a given text. 

A total of 11 students from Holbrook Public participated in the competition and of those there was one credit awarded, two merits and eight participation certificates.

Sam de Steiger is in Year 5 and was thrilled to earn a credit. It wasn’t his first year participating in the competition and he drew on previous experience to hone his skills.

Sam, 11, said it felt good to do so well. 

“I think spelling is really important,” he said. 

His sister Lucy is in Year 4 at Holbrook Public and she received a merit award. Lucy, 9, said she was thrilled with her results too. Fellow classmate Molly Pitzen, 10, also received a merit award. 

To achieve the credit Sam’s results placed him in the top 15 per cent of Year 5 students in Australia. Meanwhile the credit award meant pupils were in the top 45 per cent.

“We were given a booklet to go through and find incorrect words … and we had to correct them,” said Sam.