capacity to schools in challenging circumstances. They first worked as a support school for Bushey Hall School in Hertfordshire as it became Bushey Academy and since Easter 2011 the school has been the official sponsors of the Samuel Ryder Academy in St Albans, Hertfordshire’s first all-through school and, more recently, Sheredes School in Hoddesdon, now the Robert Barclay Academy. Sir John Lawes has also received a number of awards including the International School Award, Artsmark Gold Award, Eco-Schools Green Flag Award, SSAT Educational Outcomes Award, Inspiring Hertfordshire Award and the Secondary Geography Quality Mark. The senior football team won the St Albans District Cup in 2007, 2010 and 2011, and the County Cup in 2008. The Science Organic Vegetable Garden has won Second Prize in Harpenden in Bloom. In 2008, a team of students participating in the Engineering Education Scheme were selected by a panel of judges to represent The Eastern Region in the February 2009 National level of the BA CREST Awards, with their work on the Eurofighter Typhoon in partnership with SELEX Galileo. On 6 March 2009, the team was presented with an award for being Highly Commended at the Big Bang 2009. Alumni Past students of the school include: Sigma, musical duo Richie Driss, children's television presenter, including Blue Peter Jonathan Vernon-Smith - Presenter, BBC Three Counties Radio & BBC Radio Northampton. International Relations The school is internationally recognised and holds many links with foreign schools and institutions. Most notable of these are the annual exchange programmes with the Upper Dublin High School in Pennsylvania, and the exchange trips with the Elizabeth-Langasser-Gymnassium, Alzey Germany, and the École-Jules-Ferry, Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, France, due to Harpendens own connections with the relative towns. The school also has close ties with the Ndeke High School of Zambia, regularly sending students to experience how education in Zambia differs to education in Britain. External links School website References Academies in Hertfordshire Harpenden Secondary schools in Hertfordshire Educational institutions established in 1850 1850 establishments in the United Kingdom