1^st Sam Tiller, Colchester Royal Grammar School

2^nd Olivia Hudson, St Albans High School for Girls

3^rd Alison Heylen, Stephen Perse Sixth Form, Cambridge

Highly commended:

Rohan Rajathurai, King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon

Alasdair Marshall, The King’s (The Cathedral) School, Peterborough

Mustafa Dassu, Loughborough Grammar School

Evan Cai, Eton College

Samuel Blakemore, Colchester Royal Grammar School

Commended:

Rohan Varia, Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet

Harry Rushton, King’s College School, Wimbledon

Summer Campling, Beauchamps High School, Wickford

Laura Huntley, Loughborough High School

Nicholas Squire, Radley College, Oxford

Elijah Wahl Nahmias, Harris Westminster Sixth Form, London

Mikolaj Rutka, Radley college, Oxford

International prize:

Jason Shim, The Harker School, San Jose, USA

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.