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Antarctic scene with attractive blue glacier floating in the ocean

School Essay Competition

2023 competition  

The 2023 School Essay Competition, organised in partnership with the Financial Times, invited students to answer the following question: 

What risks are associated with climate change and what should we be doing about it? 

Our 2023 results 

Winner 

Emily Blanchfield, Fettes College, Edinburgh 

Highly Commended 

Cyrus Chang, Harrow School     

Jemima Davey, Tormead School, Guildford    

Amar Singh Mashiana, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy    

Ben Musk, Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge    

Niamh O'Connell, The Holy Cross School, New Malden    

Adam Patrick Osborne, Watford Grammar School for Boys    

Parnika Parulkar, The Tiffin Girls' School, Kingston upon Thames    

Johannes Timm, Gordonstoun, Elgin    

India Worthington, Manchester High School for Girls    

The winning essay has been published on FT.com. 

Answers needed to briefly explain what climate change is, as well as identifying consequences and mitigation strategies. Entrants were asked to use FT resources, as well as other sources.  

The judges were looking for: 

  • A clear essay or  ArcGIS StoryMap which was well-evidenced and reached a clear conclusion 
  • Submissions that did not exceed 1,000 words (excluding references) 
  • Referenced sources of information and data 
  • Submissions which were the entrant’s own work and relevant to the question and guidance 

The Society runs this competition in partnership with the Financial Times  as part of its education programme to support geography teachers and their pupils. The competition is open to all schools and advertised through our wide networks. Submissions are judged without seeing the entrants’ details.