NOVA Hreod students are top of the class after beating stiff competition in a national contest to design a new app.

The #UnitedApp2015 competition is a contest between 700 young people from across the country who attend schools in the United Learning group, of which Nova Hreod is part.

Nova Hreod Academy’s Think Tank Russell group came in first place with its idea about creating an application to support parents when helping with their children’s homework.

Nova Hreod principal Darren Barton said: “This is a fantastic achievement and exemplifies the drive, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of students at Nova Hreod Academy.

“We are all exceptionally proud of them.”

United Learning joined ideas company 7billionideas to create the contest, which promotes entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and team work while introducing students to the world of coding.

The chief executive of 7billionideas, David Harkin, who launched the competition last September, said: “The selection of the finalists was an incredibly tough job, given the fantastic amount of ideas submitted by the students, but the selection of the winner must have been even harder.

“Nova Hreod produced a fantastic presentation, with a fantastic idea, and we can’t wait to work with the students to now make this a reality.”