A TALENTED York boy has made history by becoming the first ever pupil at his school to be awarded two scholarships for Eton College - as his current school faces closure.

Minster School pupil, Puyuan Ge will start at Eton at the same time as the sad news that his current school will soon close due to a financial shortfall.

As The Press reported earlier this month, the historic school which is run by the Chapter of York Minster and has origins dating back to 627 AD is to close - and bosses are blaming the “catastrophic impact” of the coronavirus crisis.

Puyuan, who is 13 and from Copmanthorpe, is an accomplished pianist and violinist and also has an exceptional academic record which has allowed him to secure both a highly competitive Music Scholarship (for both instruments), and the infamously difficult, academic King’s Scholarship, only awarded to around 14 of the world’s brightest scholars each year.

Puyuan, said: “To be totally honest, even though I worked my hardest and tried my best for the auditions and tests, getting those results was still beyond my wildest dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Minster School York, and I can’t thank my teachers enough. I look forward to starting my new journey at Eton College."

Every year more than 1,000 boys apply to Eton from across the globe, with only 260 successful, and only 14 or so becoming King’s Scholars. This year, 15 King’s Scholars were appointed, with Puyuan the only boy also awarded a music scholarship.

The Minster School has had an excellent track record with pupils awarded scholarships for many top schools across the country, at the end of Year 8. Of the six TMS York boys that have successfully applied to Eton since 1995 - a huge achievement in itself - Puyuan is the only one to have been awarded two scholarships.

Head teacher Angela Mitchell, said:“Puyuan’s exceptional talents have always shone through. We were delighted to nurture his gifts and help him become the best he can be, and he has exceeded all expectations. His talents were obvious when he won the school form trophy every year, and here are further, deserved accolades. We are all delighted his hard work has been rewarded.

"Our hardworking staff, who have taught him over the years, are so proud of Puyuan. He has so much to contribute – a true all-rounder - and we wish him every success. Eton is very lucky to have him.”

Assistant head and head of Languages & PSHE, Mlle Sophie Schoukroun, said: “Bien joué, Puyuan. It has been an absolute delight to teach you and cultivate your bright and curious mind. I am glad I insisted we all worked at helping you achieve your dream three years ago when this adventure began. I had no doubt that we teachers of The Minster School York could help Puyuan on this journey. We are all so proud of you. Bonne chance.”

A previous TMS York pupil and York Minster chorister, Felix Kirkby, is also excelling at Eton College. Now in his final term, he recently won the prestigious Newcastle Scholarship – for the highest performance in a series of exams within one week - amongst other numerous achievements. In addition, he was recently offered an academic place at University of Oxford, and awarded the Christ Church College Organ Scholarship for September 2020.