ARTISTIC students from schools in Tetbury, Malmesbury and surrounding villages proved themselves to be top of the class at painting when they entered the Friends of Tetbury Hospital Young Art Competition.

Pupils from nine local schools rose to the challenge of submitting paintings on the theme of ‘if I could’, with 100 artworks chosen out of 232 submissions for a Young Art exhibition at the Market Hall in Tetbury.

Parents and friends of the young artists came together for the exhibition and were able to buy reproductions of the paintings in various formats, helping to raise just over £1,000 for the Friends of Tetbury Hospital.

Local professional artists, Sue Townsend, Sue Daybell and Chris White, judged the paintings and prizes were up for grabs in several categories.

Sir William Romney’s pupils swept the board in the Year 9 category, with first prize won by 15-year-old Otto Walker-Gobey. Sir William Romney’s student Marie Kemsley, 13 took first place in the Year 8 category and Ellie Pitts, 14, had her entry highly commended.

Seven year-old Freddie Williamson, from Crudwell Primary School was awarded first prize for the primary school reception and Years 1-2 category and Kate Hollywood from Rose Hill Westonbirt impressed judges enough to scoop first place in the Years 3-6 category. Judges highly commended Christine Jurado Loft and Lula White, both of Rose Hill Westonbirt.

Event organiser for the Friends, Tony Gordon, said: “We have never had so many young people at one of our fund-raising events. We would like to thank all the local people and organisations who helped stage the Exhibition and Great Art Ltd plus the Society of All Artists who donated the prizes."

• Results: Reception and Years 1-2: 1 Freddie Williamson (Crudwell) 2 Sophia Burkinshaw (Rose Hill Westonbirt); 3 Lucy Holdsworth (Rose Hill Westonbirt) • Years 3-6: 1 Kate Hollywood (Rose Hill Westonbirt); 2 Toby Melvin (Beaudesert Park); 3 Lucy Berrington (St Mary's). The judges highly commended Christine Jurado Loft and Lula White, both of Rose Hill Westonbirt.

• Year 8: 1 Marie Kemsley (Sir William Romney’s School); 2 Angus Greig (Sir William Romney’s) ; 3 Charlotte Pearce (Westonbirt) • Year 9: 1 Otto Walker Gobey (Sir William Romney’s); 2 Jake Harvey Lewis (Sir William Romney’s); 3 Molly Wear (Sir William Romney’s). The judges highly commended Ellie Pitts of Sir William Romney’s.