Student shortlisted in Amnesty UK top ten

Geraldine Thompson, aged 17, from Oakgrove Integrated School, sat AQA's the A2 section of the A level Citizenship exam this summer and was one of around 400 pupils nationwide who answered a question on Amnesty International.

The best 10 have now been shortlisted.

Her achievement was even more remarkable as the exam was on top of her regular courses and was taught in a handful of lessons after school.

Geraldine said: "Studying Citizenship has helped me better understand the problems other people face, and what I can do to help solve them.

"Learning about Amnesty International has helped make me more aware of international issues and the way I can help. "It has greatly improved my knowledge of human rights. It is great to think that something simple like writing a letter can make a difference to someone's life."

John Harkin, the vice principal at Oakgrove Integrated College said: "We are delighted that Geraldine is being considered for this award.

"We have taught Citizenship as a voluntary, after-school 'club' for some years, and students enjoy learning about how to have an impact on the lives of others.

"Writing a letter – which Amnesty has always encouraged – is one of the simplest ways in which we can act about human rights; yet it is also one of the most powerful ways of supporting someone, and saying to those who abuse others' rights: 'I will no longer allow this to happen.'

"This fits well with what we try to do in an integrated school, bringing people together in a divided society to try to make future better than our past."

Jo Cobley, head of Amnesty International UK's education and student team and one of the judges for the award, added:

"It's a great privilege to judge the competition. And we're delighted that AQA used Amnesty for one of their questions.

"The shortlist is of the very highest standard and it's going to be very difficult to choose a winner.

"It's clear from the entries that several schools across the UK take the issue of human rights very seriously indeed."

The overall winner will be revealed at AQA's prestigious Student of the Year ceremony in Westminster on Thursday, December 16.