Students capture the beauty of Rutland and Leicestershire in showhome photography competition

Students at Catmose College, Oakham, have let their creativity shine in a photography competition celebrating the Rutland and Leicestershire countryside.

Bellway East Midlands, which is building a new development in the town, asked students to use their photography skills to capture their local area. The winning photographs will be displayed in the showhome at the Barleywoods development in Braunston Road, with students also adding them to their portfolios.

Mrs Sanger, Curriculum Lead of Art at the school, said: “Catmose College were proud to collaborate with Bellway on a whole-college photography competition, inviting students to capture Rutland and Leicestershire in a creative and personal way through the eye of their lens. It presented a great opportunity for the students to practice their skills and be recognised for their work.”

From 30 entries, three winning students were awarded with vouchers for Oakham print shop Pixel + Paper. Fiona Bray, Bellway East Midlands Sales Manager, presented the vouchers during a photography lesson at the school.

Fiona said: “As a responsible housebuilder, Bellway always looks to engage with the local community and working with schools is our top priority. It has been fantastic to continue our relationship with the staff and students at Catmose College, having previously welcomed engineering students to site for a tour.

“When we discussed capturing the beauty of the area through photography, viewing landmarks and scenes through the eyes of these talented young people offered a fresh perspective. The project also provided the students with an opportunity to enhance their portfolio and gain experience of commercial photography.

“The range of subjects and the quality of the photographs was incredibly impressive. We will display the winning entries at our show home with pride.”

Mrs Sanger added: “Students were excited to see their work showcased on a larger platform and celebrated by others. Our overall winner, Abbie, will also be using her Pixel + Paper voucher to support her GCSE Photography studies. We hope to partner with Bellway again in the future, and we extend our thanks for providing such a valuable opportunity for our students."