TOP-PERFORMING students at Otley College were rewarded for their efforts at a prize-giving ceremony this month .Sixty-three awards were presented in front of a selection of sponsors, invited guests, parents and staff.

TOP-PERFORMING students at Otley College were rewarded for their efforts at a prize-giving ceremony this month .

Sixty-three awards were presented in front of a selection of sponsors, invited guests, parents and staff.

Guest speaker was the current president of the student union at University Campus Suffolk, Howard Smith.

The winner of the Otley College Student of the Year award was Martin O'Hara from Alderton near Woodbridge.

The 19 year old brickwork learner has recently won a prestigious prestigious Prince of Wales Building Craft Apprenticeship programme which he will be starting in July 2009.

Other winners included Laura Jarrold, of Stowmarket, who helped build an environmental area at Earl Soham Primary School and Thetford-based Matt Munro who used a mixture of moped and bus to get to the college to complete his course in roofing.

The current captain of the Ipswich Town Football Club's academy - 18 year old Luke Hyam - also picked up an award on behalf of his teammates who all showed great educational effort and commitment whilst studying with Otley this year.

College spokesperson John Nice said: “Our prizegiving ceremony is a celebration of student achievement and is probably the most fulfilling event in the college calendar for both students and staff.

“We would like to congratulate Martin O'Hara for winning our student of the year award along with all of our winners. Although most of the winners are from Suffolk, this year we had award winners who live as far away as Clacton, Cambridge, Boston (Lincs) and Birmingham.”