Revealed: Birmingham through the eyes of its children

Competition asked local school children to show what Birmingham means to them.

Revealed: Birmingham through the eyes of its children

Competition asked local school children to show what Birmingham means to them.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham presented awards this week for a Birmingham wide schools' competition, where local pupils from the area's 872 schools were asked to show 'what Birmingham means to them'.

The competition, run by specialist education recruitment consultancy, Select Education, was a unique chance to gain a child's eye view of Birmingham, from children of all backgrounds and walks of life.

Whether it was the bustling atmosphere of the Bullring or the tranquillity of one of Birmingham's many parks, competition entrants were asked to depict their own interpretation of their city through the mediums of literature, art, photography or media.

Held in the heart of the city in the prestigious Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, winners and runners up in each category were invited to the awards ceremony last week, along with teachers and parents, where they could see their work displayed in a special exhibition for the evening.

Winner of the secondary art category, Gayathr Anand of Sutton Coldfield Girls School, received extra recognition for an outstanding entry which drew on elements of the city's diversity, multiculturalism and varied landscape, which led to Gayathr's entry being selected as the overall winner by the judges Richard Statham, head of learning and outreach, BM&AG and Tony Howell, Birmingham's strategic director of children, young and people and families.

'My picture is of the Selfridges building and the bull. I really like the Selfridges building. I know lots of people like going there to shop, but I like it because it isn't boring and it's new. Everybody knows them, so I painted them in my picture', said winner of the primary school art category, Trene Watkins of St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School.

Peter Flannery, MD, Select Education comments on the competition: 'It is great to be able to offer the children of Birmingham the chance to show what their home town means to them. We received a vast range of entries as the topic is so personal and can be interpreted in a number of ways. It also allowed the children to take a closer look at their surroundings and instil a greater sense of pride'.

The competition was also designed to support curriculum subjects including History, Geography, Citizenship, Art, English and ICT.

The winners, who all received 50 book vouchers, a trophy and a certificate, included:

• Primary Art: Treneé Watkins of St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School
• Secondary Art: Gayathr Anand, Sutton Coldfield Girls School
• SEN Art: Julio Hui, Fox Hollies School
• SEN Literature: Steven Guiry, Calthorpe Special Education School