1^st The winner wishes to remain anonymous

2^nd Lewis Fung, Stephen Perse Sixth Form, Cambridge

3^rd Valerie Chan, Magdalen College School, Oxford

Highly commended:

Elizabeth Wilson, King’s College School, Wimbledon

Molly Jones, The Langton Grammar School for Boys, Canterbury

Oscar Jaspert, Collyer’s College, Horsham

Verity Beaves, Bishop’s Stortford College

Pavamaan Jagalur, Wilson’s School, Wallington

Commended:

Nasr Glenn, Wendover Online School

Caroline Bartoszewski, Stowe School

Lucie Lund, Bourne Grammar School, Lincolnshire

Petru Albulescu, Colchester Royal Grammar School

Kyle El-Mariesh, King Edward’s Witley, Godalming

Suryansh Sarangi, Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet

Congratulations to all who completed their essays. To have done that is an achievement in itself.

The essays were anonymised before the judges saw them, so they did not know who wrote the essays or which school they attend. This was to prevent any unconscious bias.