Essex kids scoop top Spanish prize

Kingston Primary School in Essex has won first prize in the first-ever Foods from Spain (FfS) National Primary Schools Competition, launched earlier this year to encourage children to take an interest in fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy eating.

The competition was open to classes from every primary school in the UK and kids were asked to create a collage that represented fresh fruit and vegetables from Spain using any material, from dried fruit peel and seeds to cloth and pictures cut out of glossy magazines.

Judges commended the school’s entry for its originality, realism and use of fresh produce. The school wins £2,000 to spend on equipment or facilities from the Spanish Embassy to the UK.

Director of FfS, María José Sevilla, said: “We have all been so pleased with the way primary schools have supported our first National Primary Schools Competition and at the extremely high standard of the hundreds of entries we received.

“The diet of British children is very much on the agenda at the moment so we wanted to encourage primary schools to get their kids talking about fruit and vegetables. The response we’ve had has been fantastic and it’s been so encouraging to see the children get really involved with this project and also showing they understood issues such as 5 A DAY and healthy eating.”

Warren Primary School, Kent, and Park Hill Primary School, West Midlands, won second and third place in the competition and will receive £1,000 and £500, respectively.

All schools that entered the National Primary Schools Competition receive a certificate from the Spanish Embassy, signed by the Spanish Ambassador.

FfS is planning to exhibit some of the best entries to the competition at an event or gallery during the summer.