Netflix star Simeon Dyer returns to Welbourn school for awards night

Sir William Robertson Academy welcomed back former student Simeon Dyer as guest speaker at its Upper School Awards ceremony.

The awards recently celebrated the achievements of last year’s Year 9 and Year 10 students, and invited families and friends to join in the celebrations.

Saffron Simpson, a Year 11 student, provided musical entertainment by singing ‘Lay me Down’ by Sam Smith.

Simeon was a pupil at Sir William Robertson Academy, in Welbourn, from 2005 to 2012, and is now a successful actor, having appeared in the Netflix fantasy series ‘The Witcher’.

Last year, he appeared in an Olivier-nominated production of Snow White at the London Palladium alongside actors including Dawn French and Julian Clary.

When he is not acting, Simeon works for Little People UK, a charity co-founded by actor Warwick Davis and his wife Samantha to offer support to people with dwarfism. Simeon has achondroplasia, which is a type of dwarfism.

Proceedings at the awards ceremony were led by deputy headteacher Steve Grant and more than 70 awards recognising subject achievement, subject progress and 100 per cent attendance were presented by head of Year 11 Elizabeth Brewin.

Two special awards were also presented. Fenton Smith received the Martin Burton Award for showing exceptional care for fellow pupils, and Francesca Whitelaw was presented with the Eric Hall Award for hard work and achievement.

Headteacher Mark Guest said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Simeon back to the school, and we were delighted that he was able to join us at such a special event.

“It was an extremely memorable occasion celebrating the hard work and achievement of our Upper School students over the last academic year.”