A Colyton Grammar School student has been named the winner of the Geographical Association’s prestigious national competition.

Tallie Blanshard, who is in year 11, took first prize in the contest, the theme of which this year was ‘Geographical Connections’.

The 15-year-old grew up living near canals and so chose to explore the historical uses and global connections of the canal network, and the causes of their rise and fall for her entry.

Last week, the Geographical Association’s treasurer of post-16 education, Mick Dawson, visited the school to present Tallie with her award and £100 prize money.

Praising her work, he said her entry had been ‘truly outstanding’.

He said: “She drew from her own experiences and brought in her own opinion, which really brought the essay to life,” he said.

“Part of what the board was looking for was for the entry to be inspirational, and Tallie’s essay really delivered on that.”

Tallie said: “It was amazing that a member of the association came to present the prize in a school assembly.”

The GA is an independent charity, with a core objective to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education. The GA promotes and supports geography teaching by producing high quality resources for teachers, running continued professional development events and influencing policy makers.