No fewer than five of last year’s champions have earned the chance to defend their titles at the Butterfly National School Team Championships.

At the semi-finals, held over the last two weekends in Grantham and Bristol, a total of 32 teams – 16 boys and 16 girls across four age groups – won through to April’s national finals.

London Academy won four of the competitions at Bristol – including both under-13 categories. Also victorious were the under-11 girls and under-16 boys’ teams, both of whom will be defending their national titles in Wolverhampton on April 28.

The Academy’s under-16 girls will also get to defend their title, although they finished second behind St George’s Catholic School in the semi-finals.

London Academy also qualified in second place in the under-11 boys, behind Fox Primary, and so will have six teams at the finals.

Their achievement comes despite a minibus carrying some of their teams breaking down on the way to Bristol, meaning they almost did not make it!

The other national champions who will be back to defend their titles are St Marylebone CE School, who were second in the under-13 girls’ competition, and Grantham College, who won the U19 boys’ semi-final in their home town.

Nearby Charles Read Academy were victorious in both under-16 categories in Grantham, while Fox also qualified their U11 girls from Bristol.

The final finishing orders in the two semi-finals are as follows (qualifying schools in bold).

Meres Leisure Centre, Grantham

U11 Boys
1.    Bedford Prep. School
2.    Bricknell Primary School
3.    Blackminister Middle School
4.    St Mary’s College Prep. School

U11 Girls
1.    Bankfields Primary School
2.    White Bridge Primary School
3.    Blackminister Middle School
4.    Milnthorpe Primary School

U13 Boys
1.    King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys
2.    The Blue Coat School, Liverpool
3.    Bedford Prep.School
4.    St Mary’s College

U13 Girls
1.    Tudor Grange Academy, Solihull
2.    Horizon Community College
3.    The King’s School, Peterborough
4.    Bradford Grammar

U16 Boys
1.    Charles Read Academy
2.    The King’s School, Peterborough
3.    Warwick School
4.    Brines Leas 

U16 Girls
1.    Charles Read Academy
2.    Toot Hill School
3.    Prince Henry’s High School

U19 Boys
1.    Grantham College
2.    Tudor Grange Academy
3.    King Edward VI Grammar School
4.    Altrincham Boys Grammar

U19 Girls
1.    Chellaston Academy
2.    Bradford Grammar School

SGS College, Bristol

U11 Boys
1.    Fox Primary School
2.    London Academy
3.    St John’s C of E Primary School
4.    Millfield Prep. School

U11 Girls
1.    London Academy
2.    Fox Primary School
3.    St Andrews Prep.
4.    St Christophers

U13 Boys
1.    London Academy
2.    Dorothy Stringer School
3.    St George’s Catholic School
4.    Marling School

U13 Girls
1.    London Academy
2.    St Marylebone CE School
3.    Devonport High School lfor Girls
4.    Dorothy Stringer School

U16 Boys
1.    London Academy
2.    Devonport High School for Boys
3.    Reading School
4.    Addey & Stanhope

U16 Girls
1.    St George’s Catholic School
2.    London Academy
3.    Patcham High School
4.    The King’s School  

U19 Boys
1.    Wallington County Grammar School
2.    John Hampden Grammar School
3.    Morpeth School
4.    Lipson Co-op Academy

U19 Girls
1.    Burnham Grammar School
2.    Royal Russell School
3.    Lipson Co-op Academy
4.    University College School