SCHOOL students of all ages from across the county have been getting to grips with the subject of farming and food in the annual Suffolk Schools Competition.

The art-based contest, staged ahead of the Suffolk Show at which the winners and a selection of other entries are displayed, is organised by a partnership involving malt and malted ingredients firm Muntons, the Suffolk Agricultural Association (SAA), which organises show, and Suffolk County Council.

The panel of judges was chaired by Alan Ridealgh, managing director of Muntons, which also hosted the judging, and included Bob Hall of grain merchants James & Son, Rebecca Geraghty of the Home Grown Cereals Authority, Mick Hubbert of Royal Bank of Scotland, Andy Dunlop of Lloyds TSB, Helen Smith of the Chadacre Agricultural Trust, Andy Meades of design consultants Holy Cow!, Simon White from Suffolk County Council, Derek Scott of the SAA and Duncan Brodie, from the East Anglian Daily Times.

Mr Ridealgh said: “We have been hosting the judging for this competition for many years now and every year I am astounded by the inventiveness and creativity of the students’ entries. This year is no exception.”

The first prize winners were:

Early Years Foundation Stage (sponsored by Holy Cow!): Sandlings Primary, Sutton; Key Stage 1 (sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland): St Edmundsbury Primary, Bury St Edmunds.

Key Stage 2 Lower (sponsored by the Home Grown Cereals Authority): Old School, Henstead; Key Stage 2 Upper (sponsored by the Chadacre Agricultural Trust): Heath Primary, Kesgrave.

Key Stages 3/4 (sponsored by Lloyds TSB): Northgate High, Ipswich; Special Schools (sponsored by James & Son): Priory School, Bury St Edmunds.