The search for the 2010 Times Spelling Bee champions begins today, giving thousands of Britain’s best young spellers the chance to prove their talent.

The competition, the only national spelling championship for schools, is open to 11 and 12-year-old pupils from across the country. The winners of this year’s contest were the guest editors of Young Times for a day and interviewed Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary.

Almost 800 schools took part in 89 local and regional heats in cinemas, fighting for a chance to be crowned champions at the Odeon West End in Leicester Square in June. Ten teams competed in the grand final, hosted by the television presenters Andrea Glazier and Opal Bonfante, in front of an audience packed with the contestants’ supporters, families and friends.

A tense spell-off ensued, but St Martin’s School from Northwood, northwest London, won after correctly spelling cannonade, fluorescent, accretion and contemporaneous. They described the Spelling Bee as “adrenalin-packed and absolutely amazing fun — a once-in-a-lifetime experience”.

Other words tackled by contestants, under the eyes of judges from Collins English Dictionary, included ichthyology, analgesic, Byzantine, vestigial, pirouette, zephyr, outmanoeuvre and repertoire.

Mr Balls said: “I am delighted that The Times has taken the initiative to launch a national spelling bee competition to assist teachers and children with spelling. Good spelling will assist children in their ambitions and it forms an essential part of the school curriculum.”

Registration is now open for next year’s event, which is open to all full-time pupils in the UK who turn 12 between September 1, 2009, and August 31, 2010.

Schools can register to enter by calling 0208 973 0046, e-mailing spellingbee@rapportgroup.com, or at www.timesspellingbee.co.uk.

The deadline is December 4 and schools need to submit their team members’ names by February 12 next year.

The championship starts in March, when schools go head-to-head in local knockout heats. The winning teams will progress to the semi-finals in May. The grand final will be in London in June.

Anyone wanting to sharpen their skills can visit The Times Spelling Bee website and practise spelling almost 10,000 words in a variety of games and puzzles. Last year’s highest scorer on the website amassed more than 1.2 million points.

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