Chipping Norton sixth-former wins Owen Mumford engineering scholarship

Joseph Jaffé, 17, who is studying A-Level maths, further maths and physics at Chipping Norton School, won the scholarship after making a presentation to an interview panel on the subject, Why Engineering is Important.

His parents, Patrick Neale and Polly Jaffé, run the town’s Jaffé and Neale bookshop and cafe. Joseph was one of a number of sixth-formers from Chipping Norton School and The Marlborough School in Woodstock who applied for the scholarship after attending an open day at the company’s manufacturing site in Chipping Norton. Its head office is in Woodstock.

Joseph said: “I’m delighted to be given this fantastic opportunity by Owen Mumford.

“The scholarship means I can set my sights on one of the best degrees in the country. I’m applying to Cambridge, Bristol, War-wick, Sheffield and Exeter universities, all of which offer great engineering courses.

"My parents are very proud of what I’ve achieved and I’m overwhelmed by the support that Owen Mumford is offering me.”

The judges included the company’s group operations director, Modestino Graziano, industrialisation manager Chris Skinner and human resources manager Emma Willoughby.

Mr Graziano said: “Joseph is an exceptional candidate who demonstrated a genuine and engaging curiosity about how everything works, as well as a real enthusiasm for change and making improvement – characteristics we regard as essential for future engineers.

“We were impressed by his maturity, particularly given his age, and the way he presented himself as well as the quality of the ideas in his presentation.

“Joseph has the potential to make a fine engineering graduate and we’re very pleased to be supporting such a strong candidate.”

The company plans to offer the scholarship to an engineering student every year. The award includes assistance with tuition fees and expenses plus access to resources at Owen Mumford to support degree course studies.