As Bee’s state and territory finals start, meet our top young spellers

Young spelling stars of the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee head to State and Territory Finals this week, after NSW students blitzed the record field in the national School Round, emerging top of the heap in two of the three age categories, while the state’s defending champion, Sydney’s Aditya Paul, is in the hunt for back-to-back titles.

Run by classroom news site Kids News, the Bee’s milestone* fifth birthday set new records across the board, with 82,712 registered students nationwide supported by 3384 teachers at 1436 schools.

10-year-old Jeffrey Song of Sydney Grammar Preparatory achieved first place nationwide in the Green level (Years 3-4), posting a score of 30/30 in one minute and eight seconds in his first time taking part.

While Jeffrey said he was nervous initially, that feeling clearly didn’t last long.

“I liked how it was on the computer,” he said. “You’re not in front of a stage facing other people, so it’s less tense and you can remember more words.”

Still in Sydney, North Rocks Public School student Sherry Yang also achieved the best result nationwide, this time in the Orange level (Years 5-6) category, scoring 30/30 in a blistering* 51 seconds.

Sherry said she was “very, very nervous” before taking part in the Bee, but enjoyed the challenge.

“I think it melds accuracy and speed and I think it’s a nice challenge,” she said.

The hardest word she had to spell was “tine”, which is a prong or a sharp point such as on a fork.

As for Red level (Years 7-8) defending champion Aditya, now in Year 8 at Sydney Grammar’s senior campus, he ranked third nationally with yet another perfect score. He heads into round two as NSW’s top high school contender* and the most “capped*” in the Bee’s five-year history, making the state or national final every year.

“There’s definitely a sense of deja vu,” Aditya said. “The Bee has a habit of throwing surprises, and I’ve learned over the years that nothing is ever set in stone.

“But as my Bee journey draws to a close, whether in this round or the next, I’m glad that I can say that I went out on a high note.”

The competition was tight at the top of the honour roll, with Victoria’s Yuvraj Walia, from Bacchus Marsh Grammar’s Woodlea campus, leading the charge for his state by posting the top national result in the Red category, edging out Aditya with a score of 30/30 in a single minute.

With BMG among the Bee’s foundation schools, participating every year since the Bee began, 13-year-old Yuvraj, who also made the state finals last year, said he felt extremely proud of himself.

“I felt nervous but overall I felt well prepared because I read a lot of books,” Yuvraj said.

If he does win the major prize, he said he would ask Mr Albanese to spell the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”, from Mary Poppins.

Twelve-year-old Charlie Lorback from Brighton Grammar was Victoria’s highest performing primary student, achieving second place overall in the Orange level with a perfect score of 30/30 in one minute and four seconds.

“I didn’t think I would make it to state finals or anything but I did so that’s really cool,” he said.

“I like how it’s on a laptop. It feels like it’s more fun than just writing it down.”

Up in the Sunshine State, Jacob Williams achieved Queensland’s best result, placing overall seventh nationally in the Orange level (Years 5-6) with a perfect score of 30/30 in one minute and 23 seconds.

The 11-year-old Salisbury State School student, who is a fan of graphic novels, said the hardest word he had to spell was “repast”, which is another word for meal.

“I’ve never heard of, let alone used it before,” he said.

If Jacob gets to meet the Prime Minister, he will ask him to spell the word “apiphobia”, which is an intense and irrational fear of bees.

At just 11, South Australia’s Aidan Leibbrandt was entered in the high school band of the competition due to ability rather than age, which is that of a year 5 student. But the gamble paid off, with Aidan second nationally scoring 30/30 in one minute and four seconds.

Attending DARA School for gifted students in Morphettville, Aidan said his nerves relaxed after the first few words.

“I like that it was typing instead of saying it out loud, because I’m not very good at that,” he said.

If he wins the national title, his word for the PM remains a toss up between “pulchritudinous*”, “antediluvian*” and “braggadocio*”.

In Tasmania, Launceston Christian School student Eden did the Apple Isle proud after achieving a top 10 spot nationally in the Orange level, with a perfect score of 30/30 in just 1:23.453.

Eden was “really nervous” ahead of the competition, but the third-time entrant was excited to get Tasmania’s highest ranking and would like to meet Mr Albanese face-to-face.

“I would feel very excited to go to Canberra. I’m quite interested in politics, and it would be great to visit him,” she said.

At the other end of the country, Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin dominated the leaderboard for the NT, posting a top three trifecta* in Green and two of the three top results in both Orange and Red.

And for the second year running, Ross Park Primary School in Alice Springs delivered the Northern Territory its highest ranked national result in the opening round.

Azalia Maria Reji placed in the top 200 in the Orange level with a score of 28/30 in two minutes and 24 seconds.

“It was really fun and challenging,” 12-year-old Azalia said. “There were a few words that I really didn’t know but I somehow got them right.”

Like all the spelling whiz kids to make finals, Azalia loves reading, especially Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books.

Heading west, Ayun Batahena, from Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, achieved the best school round ranking in Western Australia, placing fifth nationally in the Orange level with a score of 30/30 in one minute and 20 seconds.

Spelling comes naturally to the 11-year-old, who was Green level finalist in 2023 and 2024.

Ayun is another constant reader and loves the Percy Jackson fantasy series and other books by Rick Riordan.

The hardest word he had to spell was “zebu”, which is a type of domestic cattle.

“I had never even heard the word before, but I just spelled it the way it sounded,” he said.

ACT star spellers won’t have far to travel if they claim the ultimate prize. Burgmann Anglican School – Forde claimed all three of the capital’s top scores in the Red and four honour roll appearances overall. The highest ranked in Canberra across the three competition levels was Burgmann’s Aarush K, who scored 29/30 in 3:34.5.

Whichever three whiz kids are declared 2025 national champions later this month, one thing is for sure: Mr Albanese may want to keep a Collins Dictionary handy.

School-based and teacher supervised, this week’s State and Territory Finals close at 5pm AEST on Friday 5 September. For more information head to kidsnews.com.au and spelling-bee.com.au

PLEASE SCROLL PAST CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR THE HONOUR ROLL

POLL

GLOSSARY

• milestone: an important event in the development or history of something or in someone’s life
• blistering: extremely fast; also extremely hot
• contender: someone who competes with other people to try to win something
• capped: someone representing something at a high level, as when sportspeople are selected for the national team
• pulchritudinous: a rarely used way of describing someone as beautiful or good looking
• antediluvian: extremely outdated and ancient, antiquated
• braggadocio: having and showing great confidence in one’s own abilities and qualities
• trifecta: when three things happen or are achieved

EXTRA READING

Pat Cummins bowled over by Bee

Literacy gifts comics the last laugh

Spelling skills rev kids’ engines

QUICK QUIZ

1. Who was the top student nationally in the Orange level of the School Round and with what score and time?
2. Who is the defending Red level champion and from which school?
3. Who is the student who was entered based on ability rather than age?
4. How many students, teachers and schools were registered in the 2025 School Round?
5. What does “apiphobia” mean?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Spelling Bee winners
What is the one thing all the PM’s Spelling Bee finalists have in common?

What are some of the favoured books read by these spelling whizzes?

What else do you think it could be that makes these kids successful in this spelling competition, sometimes years in a row?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Which words would Spelling Bee finalists ask the Prime Minister to spell if they get to meet him in Canberra? Write them down.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Wow word recycle
There are plenty of wow words (ambitious pieces of vocabulary) being used in the article. Some are in the glossary, but there might be extra ones from the article that you think are exceptional as well.

Identify all the words in the article that you think are not common words, and particularly good choices for the writer to have chosen.

Select three words you have highlighted to recycle into your own sentences.

If any of the words you identified are not in the glossary, write up your own glossary for them.

Extension
Find a bland sentence from the article to up-level. Can you add more detail and description? Can you replace any base words with more specific synonyms?

Down-level for a younger audience. Find a sentence in the article that is high level. Now rewrite it for a younger audience so they can understand the words without using the glossary.

NATIONAL SCHOOL ROUND HONOUR ROLL

NEW SOUTH WALES

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4) TOP THREE

1. Jeffrey S, Sydney Grammar Preparatory: 30/30, 00:01:08

2. Ashton M, Avondale School: 30/30, 00:01:34

3. Madison Y, Marist Catholic College North Shore: 30/30, 00:01:54

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. Sherry Y, North Rocks Public School: 30/30, 00:00:51

2. Anisha P, Tangara School for Girls: 30/30, 00:01:46

3. Hayden P, St Aloysius’ College Junior School: 30/30, 00:01:49

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Aditya P, Sydney Grammar School: 30/30, 00:01:07

2. Trilok S (1), Caringbah High School: 29/30, 00:01:07

3. Reben W, Wagga Wagga High School: 29/30, 00:01:40

VICTORIA

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4) TOP THREE

1. Danielle R, Lighthouse Christian College Cranbourne: 30/30, 00:01:08

2. Pascal T, Penleigh Essendon Grammar School: 30/30, 00:01:14

3. Cesca M, St James’ School: 30/30, 00:01:27

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. Charlie L, Brighton Grammar School: 30/30, 00:01:04

2. Sophia M, Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School: 30/30, 00:01:16

3. Neel M, Bacchus Marsh Grammar – Woodlea: 30/30, 00:01:20

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Yuvraj W, Bacchus Marsh Grammar – Woodlea: 30/30, 00:01:00

2. Joshua A, Lighthouse Christian College Cranbourne: 30/30, 00:01:28

3. Johan G, Lighthouse Christian College Cranbourne: 30/30, 00:01:43

QUEENSLAND

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4) TOP THREE

1. Zyra D, St Hilda’s School: 30/30, 1:57.5

2. William C, All Saints Primary School: 30/30, 2:24.7

3. Mija L, White Rock State School: 29/30, 01:11.1

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. Jacob W, Salisbury State School: 30/30, 00:01:23

2. Orla R, St Elizabeth’s School: 29/30, 00:02:04

3. James T, Cooloola Christian College: 30/30, 00:02:26

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Lola S, All Hallows’ School: 29/30, 2:55.8

2. Jasper C, Churchie Anglican Church Grammar School: 28/30, 1:37.1

3. Jacob F, Glasshouse Christian College: 28/30, 2:18.0

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4) TOP THREE

1. Juanita P, St Columba College: 30/30, 1:25.728

2. Sofia C, Quorn Area School: 29/30, 1:22.494

3. Bridie M, Victor Harbor Primary School: 29/30, Time: 1:22.500

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. Sana P, Avenues College: 28/30, 00:01:15

2. Chelsea B, Craigburn Primary School: 29/30, 00:01:18

3. Elsie C, Torrensville Primary School: 28/30, 00:01:23

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Aidan L Dara School: 30/30, 00:01:04

2. Emily Y Unley High School, 29/30: 00:04:02.

3. Isabella T Blakes: Crossing Christian College: 28/30, 00:03:01

TASMANIA

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4)

1. Anais J, Devonport Christian School: 30/30, 00:01:59

2. Lochie F, St Brigid’s Catholic School: 29/30, 00:01:26

3. Arlo H, Stella Maris Catholic School: 29/30, 00:01:36

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6)

1. Eden Y, Launceston Christian School: 30/30, 00:01:23

2. Addie A, West Launceston Primary School: 29/30, 00:01:30

3. Evie L, Margate Primary School: 30/30, 00:01:58

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8)

1. Oliver M, Sacred Heart College: 28/30, 00:01:59

2. Phoebe S, Sacred Heart College: 27/30, 00:04:09

Leo K, Calvin Christian School – Secondary: 26/30, 00:01:06

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4) TOP THREE

1. Dinel D, Riverton Primary School: 30/30, 00:01:31

2. Alessia B, Harrisdale Primary School: 30/30, 00:02:51

3. Isaac L, Churchlands Primary School: 29/30, 00:46

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. Ayun B, Christ Church Grammar School: 30/30, 00:01:20

2. James L, Christ Church Grammar School: 30/30, 00:01:45

3. Molly C, Hollywood Primary School: 29/30, 00:01:49

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Jasper G, John Curtin College of the Arts: 29/30, 00:01:38

2. Ozichukwu E, Perth Modern School, 29/30 00:01:40

3. Pearl C, Perth Modern School: 29/30 00:01:51

NORTHERN TERRITORY

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4)

1. Kaung K, Haileybury Rendall School: 29/30, 3.08.8

2. Shreyan J, Haileybury Rendall School: 28/30, 3:15.7

3. Alexander H, Haileybury Rendall School: 27/30: 1:07.7

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. Azalia M, Ross Park Primary School: 28/30, 00:02:24

2. Pia K, Haileybury Rendall School: 27/30, 00:02:27

3. Hari M, Haileybury Rendall School: 26/30, 00:03:16

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Georgia C, St John’s Catholic College: 26/30, 00:02:40

2. Dylan C, Haileybury Rendall School: 23/30, 00:01:36

3. Nethum H, Haileybury Rendall School: 23/30, 00:03:40

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY (ACT)

GREEN LEVEL (YEARS 3-4) TOP THREE

1. Walter C, Wanniassa Hills Primary School: 29/30, 1:37.5

2. Miriam C, Hughes Primary School: 29/30, 2:32.9

3. Malcolm H, Brindabella Christian College: 28/30, 1:21.9

ORANGE LEVEL (YEARS 5-6) TOP THREE

1. David D, Forrest Primary School: 28/30, 1:09

2. Daniel C, Burgmann Anglican School – Forde: 28/30, 1:17

3. Aiden B, Forrest Primary School: 28/30, 1:30

RED LEVEL (YEARS 7-8) TOP THREE

1. Aarush K, Burgmann Anglican School – Forde: 29/30, 3:34.5

Shenaya H, Burgmann Anglican School – Forde: 27/30, 2:31.2

Scarlett W, Burgmann Anglican School – Forde: 26/30, 1:52.2