Upper Sixth Student Wins Prestigious History Essay Award

This summer, Upper Sixth student James was named one of two winners of the 2026 Colin Hardy Essay Award, an international competition organised by The Western Front Association and open to students aged 16 to 18 worldwide.

Students were invited to develop their own essay title on any topic relating to the First World War. James chose to investigate the extent to which Germany’s defeat was due to military factors, as opposed to the collapse of its wartime economy and society.

Drawing on his own research, James concluded that “economic and social collapse created the conditions in which no military strategy could really succeed”. He supported his argument by examining the impact of the Allied blockade on German agriculture, the Hindenburg Programme and the resource gap created by American entry into the War.

The Western Front Association reported receiving a particularly high number of entries in 2026, many of which were described as “outstanding”, making James’s success even more impressive.

Congratulations to James on this excellent international achievement and recognition of his historical research.

James’s full essay can be read on The Western Front Association website.

Mrs J Harrison, Head of History and Politics