A talented 11-year-old schoolgirl has won the 2019 Arts & Minds competition organised by the Teachers’ Union NASUWT.

Siyona Bhandari, a Year 6 pupil at The Langley Heritage Primary School in Kennett Road, was chosen as a winner of the primary school artwork category.

Arts & Minds is an annual, UK-wide competition aimed at promoting race equality and diversity in schools.

Children and young people from primary, secondary and special schools are judged in two categories: art and creative writing.

Siyona’s entry was a drawing entitled Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, There is No Black or White at All! All Be Treated Equal. It featured a striking image of a girl looking into a mirror and seeing another girl from a different ethnic background in her reflection.

She was presented with the prize at a national awards ceremony in London.

The judges praised the quality of the drawing - particularly her work on the girl's hair.

Chris Keates, General Secretary (Acting) of the NASUWT, said: “Congratulations to Siyona for producing an excellent piece of artwork that shows just how deeply children and young people can understand these important issues.

“All of the entries were creative and clever, so the judges had great difficulty in choosing the winners.

“The high quality of entries is a credit to the skills and abilities of the pupils and their teachers and support staff.

“The NASUWT is proud to organise the Arts & Minds competition which is an engaging and effective way to promote and celebrate cultural diversity.”