Peter Sawkins, who won The Great British Bake Off last week, came to us not so very long ago as a sprightly S1 student, full of energy and enthusiasm for learning, badminton and baking. 

As an accomplished sportsman, Peter naturally grew a competitive spirit and he would give his all in every aspect of school life. Always with a smile on his face, his passion for being the best version of himself was infectious and, as a result, Peter achieved success in school every step of the way.

Mr Murray, Peter’s home economics teacher, remembers him fondly. “Peter entered his first bake-off when he was in S4. He made a torte with mousse and jelly - it was tantalising blackcurrant. I also remember he made a cranachan cake for the science department when he left school. We all enjoyed it - I may have enjoyed a couple of extra pieces, too.”

Former Currie High student wins @BritishBakeOff 2020. Congratulations & well done Peter #gbbo pic.twitter.com/Osu4pQcOQ6

- CurrieCHS (@curriechs) November 24, 2020

Peter’s success was not only in academic achievement. We saw him grow from a bouncy 12-year-old into a bouncier and blossoming adult who grew in confidence, demonstrated the ability to work superbly well in a team and very much became well known to our school and wider community.

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Peter was also member of the school Food for Life group, which was a group of young people and staff working together to promote healthy eating, by sourcing produce to ensure that our own school canteen was offering healthy options for young people and staff. Peter worked with his peers, staff and community members to shape this project and influence the choices people were making around food.

The path to Bake Off glory 

Peter also attended many extracurricular clubs, in particular sports clubs and was a fantastic badminton player. He was selected for the Edinburgh Schools Sports Academy and represented Scotland in his age group. He also went on to become head student in his final year of school. Not surprisingly, Peter was nominated by both his peers and staff for his natural leadership flair, and shone in this role. 

From a young age, Peter showed tenacity, resilience and self-belief in all his endeavours, This spirit has strongly influenced the type of person he is now, and was there for all to see during the Bake Off - we could not be prouder!

The Bake Off result was a beautiful exemplification that dreams can come true. Peter, you are an inspiration and we cannot wait to invite you into school, so that you can share with us your wonderful story.

Jenny Smith is acting headteacher at Currie Community High School in Edinburgh