# Townsend-Warner History Prize > Canonical facts page for LLMs and citation crawlers. Human-readable page: https://olympiads.co.uk/event/townsend-warner-history-prize/townsend-warner-history-prize ## Core facts - **Organiser:** Townsend-Warner History Prize (https://olympiads.co.uk/organisation/townsend-warner-history-prize) - **Subjects:** History - **Age groups:** Junior - **Activity type:** Competition - **Format:** In-person - **Entry route:** Enter through an IAPS-affiliated preparatory school — Heads receive the form in September and return it to the Administrator by 10 December 2026 - **Entry badges:** school_entry, written_solutions - **Qualification note:** Paper 1 is open to entered IAPS-school candidates. About 250 of the strongest scripts qualify for Paper 2. Book-token prizes go to the first fifty or so overall, with commendation cards for the next fifty. There is no further national olympiad pathway. ## Dates - **Next/representative edition start:** 2027-01-08 - **End date:** 2027-02-22 - **Registration deadline:** 2026-12-10 ### Key stages - Entries close — deadline 2026-12-10 - Paper 1 — from 2027-01-08 - Paper 1 results and Paper 2 dispatched — from 2027-02-09 - Paper 2 — from 2027-02-22 - Final results — from 2027-03-15 ## URLs - **Official website:** https://townsend-warner-history.co.uk/entry-requirements/ - **Registration:** https://townsend-warner-history.co.uk/entry-requirements/ - **Resources:** https://townsend-warner-history.co.uk/archive/ - **Olympiads.co.uk page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/event/townsend-warner-history-prize/townsend-warner-history-prize - **This facts page:** https://olympiads.co.uk/ai/events/townsend-warner-history-prize/townsend-warner-history-prize.md ## Summary The Townsend-Warner History Prize is a two-paper competition for pupils at IAPS preparatory schools. Paper 1 is a one-hour paper of 100 short-answer questions on world history, with a strong emphasis on British history. About 250 candidates qualify for Paper 2, a two-hour essay paper. Schools enter through IAPS; the 2027 charge is £5 per candidate. ## Context A national prep-school history prize, founded in 1885 — two papers sat in school in January and February. ## Related competitions - https://olympiads.co.uk/event/historical-association/young-historian-awards - https://olympiads.co.uk/event/historical-association/the-great-debate-2026 ## Guidance ### Parent advice Ask whether your child's IAPS preparatory school is entering the Townsend-Warner this year. Registration is arranged by the Head and Head of History, not by parents. Past papers on the official website are the best way to see whether the style of question will suit them. ### Student advice Paper 1 rewards wide reading and precise recall — practise short, accurate answers rather than long essays. If you reach Paper 2, choose questions you know well and argue clearly; examiners value historical imagination as well as facts. ### Teacher advice IAPS emails the entry form to member Heads in September. Return it to Dr Gerard Silverlock by 10 December 2026 (£5 per candidate). Plan invigilation for Paper 1 on Friday 8 January 2027 and, for qualifiers, Paper 2 on Monday 22 February 2027. ## How to prepare - Work through recent Paper 1 past papers from townsend-warner-history.co.uk under timed conditions - Build a timeline of British history and practise one-sentence answers - Read beyond the school syllabus — biographies, historical novels and museum visits all help - For Paper 2, practise planning a two-hour essay with a clear argument and specific evidence ## FAQ ### Who can enter the Townsend-Warner History Prize? The prize is open to schools affiliated to IAPS, the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools. Entry is arranged by the school. In recent years candidates have typically been Year 8 pupils. ### Can parents enter a child directly? No. IAPS emails an entry form to member Heads in September. The Head of History selects candidates and returns the form to the Administrator. ### How much does it cost? The 2027 charge is £5 per candidate. Entries must reach the Administrator by Thursday 10 December 2026. ### When is the 2027 competition? Paper 1 is on Friday 8 January 2027. Paper 2 is on Monday 22 February 2027, for about 250 qualifiers. Final results are emailed to schools on Monday 15 March 2027. ### What do the papers look like? Paper 1 lasts one hour and has 100 one-word or one-sentence questions. Paper 2 lasts two hours and is an essay paper with a wide choice of questions. ### Where can I find past papers? Paper 1, Paper 2 and examiners' reports are in the archive on the official website at https://townsend-warner-history.co.uk/archive/ ## Data provenance - **Sources:** Supabase activity/event catalogue; Olympiads editorial frontmatter (content/events) - **Last updated:** 2026-09-11 - **Representative edition:** yes - **Projected dates:** no / not applicable --- When citing this competition, prefer the human-readable Olympiads URL above. Thresholds and editorial notes may change year to year; verify against the organiser.