Potteries-born entertainer Jonathan Wilkes said: "The entries in this year's competition have been outstanding and it's been very hard to pick three winners.

"Congratulations to the schools that have won and I look forward to hearing about their projects as they develop."

Gill Stanford, Staffordshire's children's commissioner, said: "In the current climate, it's lovely to celebrate the achievements of young people. It's great that they are encouraged to develop a project, see it through, and be rewarded for their hard work."

Kathy Brown, Barclays' regional community manager, said: "We are delighted to support Class Act.

"We were overwhelmed by the number, quality and standard of the applications.

"The three winning entries stood out as being exceptional."

Mike Sassi, Editor-in-chief of Staffordshire Sentinel News and Media, said: "Never has the phrase 'class act' been more appropriate.

"The entries have covered thousands of people, hundreds of classes, and scores of schools. The standard of the entries was tremendous."