LORD Patten of Barnes, alumnus and patron of St Benedict's School in Ealing, presented the Patten Scholarships last week.

He attends the Sixth Form Scholars’ Evening each year.

Chris Patten was the last British Governor of Hong Kong and a Conservative politician until 2011.

In his address, he said: “St Benedict’s made me. It taught me to read widely, to write a sentence which is free from cliché, and it gave me the wonderful Benedictine ideal of ‘moderation in all things’.”

READ MORE: New war memorial unveiled at Ealing school

READ MORE: Ealing opens pioneering heart failure clinic

The evening was attended by parents and St Benedict’s scholars aged 11 upwards.

It began with four Patten Scholars in their final year talking about how they had used their awards to develop their academic interests, by attending university courses.

The new Lower 6th academic scholars were then presented with their awards by Lord Patten, Abbot Martin Shipperlee and the headmaster, Andrew Johnson.

Lord Patten urged St Benedict’s scholars to make the most of the experience life has to offer: “University is not the end of the road,” he said. “Go out and repay your parents, your genes and St Benedict’s.”