A teenager with no formal art background made it through to the finals of a national competition.

Year 11 student Ella Weeks, who studies at Benton Park in Rawdon, competed in the final of the prestigious ARTiculation prize despite not having had an art lesson since Year 9.

And whereas other competitors have taken an A-level standard art-based course Ella hadn’t even chosen the subject at GCSE.

Despite being up to two years younger than many of the competitors she was picked to take part in the final at Cambridge University earlier this month.

The ARTiculation Prize is an annual event designed to promote the appreciation and discussion of art. Each student is invited to deliver a ten minute presentation about a work of art, artefact or architecture of their choice.

Ella’s presentation was based on Dmitri Vrubel’s My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love, after seeing the piece during a recent school trip to Berlin.

Although she didn’t make it to the top three her English teacher has described his pride in her performance.

Speaking after she qualified for the final Steve Harlow said: “This is the fourth year that Benton Park have been involved in the Prize, and the third time we have had a pupil win a place in the final. I was extremely proud to witness Ella’s speech, and was moved by the courage she exhibited in battling her nerves in order to deliver such a passionate and warm piece.”