Budding young Shropshire artists gather at stately home for awards ceremony

Competition winners from schools across Shropshire and Staffordshire were commended at the art gallery of a stately home near Shifnal.

Primary first prize winners, St Mary and St Chad First School

Students from Telford, Oswestry, South Shropshire, Stafford, Burntwood and Stoke-on-Trent attended Weston Park for its Young Artist Competition prize-giving ceremony.

The Weston Park Foundation invited schools to enter budding young artists’ work into the competition, with the opportunity for those shortlisted to be shown in the estate's Granary Art Gallery.

The work produced was inspired by the venue's involvement in the Queen Victoria 200th birthday celebrations and the close links that Weston Park has with the iconic monarch.

Secondary school first prize winner, Sienna Rowlands, 14, Year 9 at Moorside High School

Primary school first prize winners, St Mary and St Chad First School

Primary third prize winners Rushbury Primary School with James Forster, of Halls

Secondary school first prize winner Sienna Rowlands, 14, year 9 at Moorside High School with James Forster of Halls

Secondary school second prize winner Conor McGuire, 12, year 8 from Erasmus Darwin Academy with James Forster of Halls

Secondary school third prize winner Sean Jalving, 12, year 7 from Ercall Wood Academy with James Forster of Halls

Primary school third prize winners Rushbury Primary School

Children in primary and secondary schools created artwork on the theme of Queen Victoria and the Industrial Revolution to be in with the opportunity to win the cash prize for their school, as well as art materials for themselves.

In first place for primary schools was St Mary & St Chad First School, in Stafford, in second place was Moreton Hall School in Oswestry, and Rushbury Primary School in South Shropshire came third.

Moorside High School in Stoke-on-Trent won the secondary school category, with Erasmus Darwin Academy from Burntwood in second and Telford's Ercall Wood Academy in third.

The entry from Alina, year 4 at Erasmus Darwin Academy in Burntwood

The entry from Sienna Rowlands, 14, in Year 9 at Moorside High School in Stoke-on-Trent

Secondary school second place entry, by Conor McGuire, 12, year 8 from Erasmus Darwin Academy

Secondary school third place, Sean Jalving, 12, year 7 at Ercall Wood Academy

The entry from primary school first prize winners St Mary and St Chad First School

Secondary school third prize winner Sean Jalving,12, in year 7 at Ercall Wood Academy

Conor McGuire, 12, Year 8 from Erasmus Darwin Academy

Entrants and winners of the competition gathered in the gallery for the prize-giving ceremony and to view all entrants' work.

Awards were presented by Gareth Williams, curator and head of learning at the Weston Park Foundation, and James Forster from competition sponsors, Halls Auctioneers.

Sienna of Moorside High School, said: "The revolution was the inspiration which is why I created my collage. I didn’t expect to win, there were more than 200 entries so I was very pleased."

Sandra Lamond, headteacher at St Mary and St Chad First School, added: "As a school of year one and twos, we are very proud of their achievement.

"It was great for the children to work on a collaborative piece so they work together as a team. Their piece is centred around holidays in the Victorian times, which they could relate and compare to their own holidays."