On Monday 8th December, students from all 10 schools across The Two Counties Trust (TTCT) came together for a new event on the Trust calendar, our first TTCT Baking Competition. Two students from each school, all in Years 7 to 9, teamed up to take on the challenge of baking a classic Victoria sponge cake before decorating it with a festive theme.
Throughout the day, students’ approach reflected the Trust’s values of ambition, teamwork, and honesty. Many pairs met for the first time yet worked confidently together, showing real determination to do their best while being open and honest when support was needed. Some students shared that they had organised sleepovers before the event to plan strategies, while others consulted expert family bakers at home for guidance.
This event was a perfect example of how students’ willingness to admit challenges and seek help demonstrated the strength of honesty, creating an environment where collaboration, learning and relationships could thrive. By embracing honesty, they not only produced fantastic cakes but also demonstrated the importance of being truthful and respectful in achieving shared success.
The event offered students a memorable day and highlighted the positive opportunities that come from being part of The Two Counties family. At TTCT bringing students together is an important way we encourage collaboration, build confidence and celebrate shared values in a fun and creative way.
The event received generous support from Aspens, the Trust’s catering provider, The Natasha Allergen Research Foundation and Vitalite. Their contributions helped make the day extra special by providing ingredients, professional chef support, gifts for every participant and prizes for the newly crowned TTCT Champion Bakers.
Congratulations to Ebba and Honey-Rose from Friesland School who were crowned our first TTCT Champion Bakers!
Derek Howard, Executive Headteacher at The Two Counties Trust, said:
“Our first TTCT Baking Competition was a fantastic success and a great example of us coming together as one Trust. It was a great day which I’m sure they won’t forget. We were also delighted to have the generous support of Aspens, The Natasha Allergen Research Foundations and Vitalite, whose contributions helped make the day extra special. We’re already looking forward to building on this success at our Varsity event next month, the TTCT Varsity Maths Competition.”
Among the standout performances were Rowen and William from Swanwick Hall School who secured second place. They had the following to say:
“We were pleased with our performance today. We really enjoyed the competition and would like to thank the people that organised it! It was a great experience!”
Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the UK’s food allergy charity, said:
“It was a pleasure to attend the first TTCT Baking Competition and to see pupils embracing the challenge of baking with food allergens in mind. We were delighted to serve as judges and witness not only the creativity of their cake designs, but also their thoughtful approach to using some allergen-free ingredients and allergen labelling of their cakes. With greater knowledge and understanding of food allergies, we can improve the lives of people with food allergies. We applaud the children taking part in the event who showed an impressive understanding of food allergies.”
Reflecting on the competition, Claudia Stratford, Brand Manager of Vitalite Dairy Free Spread commented:
“Vitalite were delighted to sponsor the first TTCT Baking Competition which enabled these schools to come together as one Trust. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience to see the children practice key skills, build their confidence and learn about allergens. As a top 14 allergen free brand, we believe that education is important to helping create allergy safe spaces and celebrating inclusivity. We look forward to ‘spreading’ more joy!”
The success of our inaugural TTCT Baking Competition has already created excitement for future Trust events, with the Varsity Maths Competition coming up next month.
