Two Oxford pupils have been shortlisted for a national competition to describe their ideal school.

Gautier Deplanque, eight, of St Andrews CE First School, Headington, and Jessica Jameson, 12, of Oxford High School, have been shortlisted for The Guardian newspaper's The School I'd Like contest.

More than 20,000 children from across the country entered and a shortlist of 150 pupils was drawn up.

Gautier, of Stapleton Road, Headington, came up with the idea of spending two months living under water learning about sea creatures; going into outer space for two months to learn about stars and living for two months underground to learn about dinosaurs.

He said: "I was pleased and surprised about doing well in the competition."

Jessica, of Colwell Road, Berinsfield, near Wallingford, has written a play in which a genie grants pupils wishes for their perfect schools.

But at a reunion 20 years later, they realise that they were not well prepared for what the world was really like.

She said: "People do get cross, things do not always happen on time and if you have a perfect school in an imperfect world it ruins your life because you are not prepared."

Becky Mallard, Jessica's English teacher said: "We are immensely proud of Jessica. The play is a lovely combination of wry humour and thoughtful concern about the way the world is going."

The winners will be announced in the education supplement of The Guardian on June 5.