All places have now been filled for The Times Spelling Bee Championship 2010!
Schools from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be taking part in the second Times Spelling Bee Championship. Each team will include four members - three team players and one reserve. Pupils taking part must be full-time pupils who will turn 12 years old between September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2010.
The Championship starts on March 8, 2010, when schools go head to head in live local knockout spelling heats. The winning teams will then progress to the Semi-Finals, which will take place in May. The climax will be the Grand Final, which will be held in London in June 2010. This will be a high-profile event featured in The Times newspaper and on Times Online.
The Times is a committed supporter of standards of English and the aim of the Championship is to make spelling fun and to help teachers to raise the profile of spelling and develop the talents of their students. The Times Spelling Bee is supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
The Championship provides the chance for students to display their mastery of spelling and to be part of a high-profile nationwide contest with other schools throughout the country.
There will be prizes for both the winning school team and their school.
Fine out more about the live heats