Our academic scholars Rebecca and Edie in Year 9 were shortlisted in the Junior Category, and Myra in Year 10, was shortlisted in the Senior Category of the John Locke Institute 2025 Global Essay Prize, organised in association with the University of Oxford.

This year, the competition received essays from 63,328 candidates worldwide, with the shortlist representing the top 18.65% of entries.

The competition invites young people to engage in critical thinking and articulate their ideas on challenging topics beyond the school curriculum through writing. It helps build knowledge and refine argumentation skills and gives participants the opportunity to have their work assessed by experts. All essay entries are judged by a panel of senior academics from leading universities, including Oxford and Princeton, under the leadership of the Chairman of Examiners, Professor Terence Kealey.

Rebecca, Edie, and Myra led the first Aim Higher talk on 16 September, presenting their essays to fellow Marist students and reading selected extracts from their essays in the LRC.

This is an excellent achievement and we are incredibly proud of the students.