Winner of Junior Essay Competition announced

The winners of this year’s Junior Essay Competition have been announced.

For this year’s Junior Essay competition, Third and Fourth Form were invited to respond to one of eight unseen questions, with one hour to answer. The responses were impressive, with pupils engaging especially keenly with debates in current affairs and social justice.

The winners were as follows:

Overall winner: Callie D, MSH (Third Form)

Callie wrote a compelling, well-argued piece on the uniquely challenging aspects of life in 2025, including the detrimental effects of social media, environmental harm and the use of technology in warfare. She rightly pointed out the need for urgent change in the way we do things. Callie’s essay will be published in the Salopian Magazine.

This year's winner Callie

Fourth Form Runner-up: Maigan L, Moser’s

Maigan’s essay explored the ethical aspects of AI in the production of art with a particular emphasis on intellectual property theft and creative plagiarism. She urged us to consider the environmental harms of AI and reminded us of the inexpensive media available for the creation of original art. 

Third Form Runner-Up: Dylan H, Oldham’s

Dylan chose to write about Dylan Thomas’ poem: ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.’ Dylan argued powerfully for the ongoing need for ‘willpower, dedication and integrity’ in challenging times, and the importance of fighting against injustice. He made intelligent references to past and present conflicts. The judges were very impressed.

Highly commended:

Travis L – School House (Third Form)

Travis alerted us to the ethical aspects of AI, including exploitation and deepfakes. His paragraph on the human rights violations in areas of global conflict was particularly poignant. 

George J – Ridgemount (Fourth Form)

George’s essay explored the problematic idea that ‘boys don’t cry.’ He pointed out the urgent need for men and boys to be able to share their emotions and struggles for the safeguarding of mental health and wellbeing. This piece was very authentic and well argued.

Berenguela G – QEH (Fourth Form)

Berenguela’s essay focused on the complex interplay between the actions of individuals and societies in history. She gave many examples which showcased the depth of her wider reading, and knowledge of historical conflicts. 

Sara Z – Moser’s (Fourth Form)

Sara wrote about the use of AI in art and argued for the protection of the ‘intelligence and uniqueness of human artists, lest art become ‘stagnant, lifeless and cold.’ This was a very thoughtful and eloquently written piece. 

Emma Hellyer

Head of Teaching and Learning