Coonabarabran Public School student William Weatherall has once again taken his place among the state’s best young spellers, returning for his fourth consecutive appearance at the NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee State Finals at Penrith’s Q Theatre.

The Year 6 student, known in his school community for his love of rugby league and the Sydney Roosters, as well as learning the bagpipes, travelled to Sydney with a strong cheer squad.

His mum, aunt, uncle and baby cousin were all in the audience to support him as he stepped onto the stage with 63 other finalists from across New South Wales.

William competed in the senior division and was eliminated during round three, though his family said he handled the pressure with calm determination.

There were seven rounds in total.

This year’s event brought together students from Years 2 to 6, with finalists travelling from every corner of the state; Broken Hill, Tregeagle, Tathra and Bega among them.

Almost 200,000 students from over 1,000 public schools took part in the competition throughout the year, with almost 2,000 competing in 64 regional finals to earn their place at the State Final.

Half of all finalists were from regional, rural and remote NSW, including all returning competitors.

William stood out as one of the most experienced spellers in the room, having now represented his school at the State Finals every year since Year 3.

His on-stage introduction highlighted his love of sport and travel, noting his wish to visit the United States after finishing school.

Contestants worked through ‘seen’ word lists from the Macquarie Dictionary before facing the tougher ‘unseen’ words - long, complex terms delivered under pressure before a hushed audience.

There are around 200 students at Coonabarabran Public School (pictured here at Remembrance Day) - the challenge is, could William spell all their names correctly!

This year’s senior division was taken out by Year 6 Eastern Creek Public School student Svastik Biswas, who secured the win in round eight with the word instrumentalist.

Runner-up Blaise Reid from Mona Vale Public School stumbled on precipitous in the final showdown.

In the junior division, Year 4 Narellan Vale Public School student Finn McGhee claimed victory after a tense spell-off, correctly spelling subcutaneous to edge out runner-up Sukaina Kazmi from Chester Hill Public School, who misspelled sabbatical.

The Spelling Bee has been running since 2004, when it was launched by the Carr Labor Government to encourage students to engage with literacy in a fun and competitive way.

The program has since grown into a major statewide tradition.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the event showcased the talent and commitment of young learners.

“It’s fantastic to see students from every corner of NSW coming together to put their skills to the test in one of our state’s great public school traditions,” he said.

“From Broken Hill or Bega, every finalist here today represents the incredible potential of our public school students.”

For William and his family, it was another memorable chapter in a four-year run at the state’s biggest spelling stage, one he’ll carry with him as he heads into high school next year.

If you’re wondering how you’d fare under stage lights and a stopwatch, the Premier’s Spelling Bee offers a quick reality check.

Level One words begin gently enough with examples like thermometer, but by Level Five the difficulty rises sharply, with challengers facing tongue-twisters such as phosphorescence.

It’s a reminder of just how tough the competition is, and how impressive it is for students like William to step up year after year.