Young Horndean bakers whip up creative treats for school's annual Children in Need bake off

Scores of pupils at Horndean Church of England Junior School entered the third annual bake off, which saw three from each year group scooping top prizes.

This year’s baking theme was based around the school’s Christian values of thinking with thanksgiving, learning with love and caring with compassion, which led to many creative ideas baked into cakes and cookies of all flavours. Last year’s creations were based around Bible stories.

With hopes to raise hundreds for charity, the cakes were sold to parents following the judging and proceeds will be donated to Children in Need.

Jackie Price, assistant headteacher, said: ‘Every year they get more and more creative, it’s incredible really.

‘Parents are really generous buying cakes and donating their change.’

Independent judges were called in to choose the best three cakes from each year group, based on taste but also whether the design embodied the theme.

This tough task fell to school governor Hannah Lowry from Horndean Baptist Church and Judith Deeks from the Women’s Institute.

Third place prizes were personalised pencils declaring them as winners of the school’s bake off, these went to Edith Barlow, Eva Sanders, Daniel Smith and Finlay Lyons.

Books to further inspire the keen bakers were given to Darcey Bottle, Emily Crockford, Nicole Cowling and Bronwyn Cawte, who each achieved second place for their year group.

First place was awarded to Izzy leggatt, Lottie Golding, Hayling Barton and Tilly Shorten for their efforts in creating cakes to fit the Christian values theme.

Finlay Lyons, 10, has cerebral palsy and achieved third place out of the year six entries with his creation showing his depiction of God’s earth.

He said: ‘I created the idea of making my best chocolate cake ever and icing it to look like the world and, with a little help from my mum, I iced some hands because God has the whole world in his hands. I added a heart to show learning with love.’

When asked what his parents would think when they found out he won a prize, Finlay said: ‘It’s actually amazing, they’re going to explode.’