A Year 9 pupil at Barnwell School in Stevenage has finished in the top five of a national research competition.

Lily Haines achieved the feat in the Arts and Humanities category of the Aristotelian Award Research Competition, run by the Perse School in Cambridge.

Her essay answered the question: ‘Can keeping animals in captivity ever be justified? If yes, in what circumstances?’

Lily's efforts were rewarded with a 'Highly Commended award', and she was shortlisted for winning her category.

Jackie Johnson, head of sixth form at Barnwell, said she was "absolutely delighted" with Lily's achievement.

The school has been running a Barnwell Scholars programme to increase the opportunities available to pupils to engage in aspirational opportunities across different fields.

Jackie said: "Students have elected to engage in this additional research above and beyond their schoolwork, and in their own time - these are exactly the type of character qualities that I hoped the scholars programme may elicit, and that I'd love to continue to encourage."

Tony Fitzpatrick, the school's headteacher, said he was "delighted on Lily's behalf" and declared that the school was "immensely proud" of the five pupils who entered the research competition.