The district council’s chairman, school governors and parents were in attendance to celebrate the hard work by students who completed six-week, self-study projects.

Several Key Stage Three pupils at Roding Valley High School, on Alderton Hill, Loughton, took part in the Challenge and Enrichment Showcase which concluded on Thursday, June 20.

Students were required to create an independent learning project, which had focused on current political issues such as pollution and climate change.

Katie Bingham, English teacher and Challenge and Enrichment co-ordinator, said: “The Challenge and Enrichment project is a fantastic opportunity for our students to demonstrate their personal flare and creativity while learning about something they are interested in – it is wonderful to see how engaged our students are in current political issues.”

With such tough competition, the judges of this years event decided to also award a runner-up position to each category.

The People’s Choice, Imaginative, Informative and Innovative Awards, were awarded to students Ava, Henry, Finn, and Skye respectively.

By a unanimous vote, the judges decided that the winner of the People’s Choice Award should be Ava for her project ‘Save the Bees’.

Other award-winning projects considered matters such as facial recognition technology and the natural environment; showcasing the wide variety of interests and passions of each student.

Sharon Jenner, headteacher at Roding Valley High School, said: “The Challenge and Enrichment Showcase evening is always an inspiring event that I look forward to every year.”