CHILDREN were given the red carpet treatment during an awards ceremony for best animations.

Seventeen schools created animations for a Swindon Council competition and 11 received prizes at Steam.

The two overall winning schools were St Mary’s Catholic Primary School for Key Stage 1 and Ferndale Community Primary School for Key Stage 2.

St Mary’s School pupils produced a piece, French Weather Week, showing people enjoying different weather.

Assistant head Lou Brown said: “The children in my class have been learning French and using animation as a tool for practicing the skills they had learned. The timing of the competition fitted nicely into what we had already been doing in class.”

Children were asked to create a stop-motion animation on any topic of their choice. They had the chance to draw, direct, model, script and add music. Children collected trophies and other prizes including camcorders, webcams and modelling clay.

Councillor Garry Perkins, Swindon Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “These young students have shown a lot of creative spirit in putting these animations together.”

Other winners include: Gorse Hill Infant School – Second Prize for Key Stage One; Lawn Primary School – Second prize for Key Stage Two; Chiseldon+Primary">Chiseldon Primary School – Third Prize for Key Stage Three; St Mary’s catholic Primary School – Third Prize for Key Stage Three (a second entry); Lainesmead Primary School – Best Solo; Southfield Junior School – Best Tearjerker; Brookfield Primary School – Best Soundtrack; Oliver Tomkins Junior School – Best Special Effects; South Marston Primary School – Best Home Movie.