A GROUP of school students who wrote and illustrated their own children’s book have triumphed at a major competition.

The 12 pupils from Oxford High School won the South East regional stage of the Young Enterprise competition, beating schools from seven other counties.

The girls, all aged 16 and 17, set up their own company, Oxygen, last September and went on to produce Footsteps Through Oxford, a guide to the city specifically for young visitors.

They won the county finals last month, and have now triumphed again at the regional finals in Maidstone, Kent.

Team member India Sehmi, 17, said: “It was very nerve-wracking as we did not know what to expect.

“We have been doing exams at school over the last four weeks so we have not been able to concentrate on the company as much as we would have liked.

“But it is wonderful to win.

“It’s great to think we have beaten more than 350 schools in the South East.”

Now Oxygen will go on to battle it out against 11 other regional winners in the national final in London next month.

Up for grabs is a trip to Sardinia to take part in the international competition.

Mike Gallacher, Oxford High School’s link teacher for Young Enterprise, said: “The girls were amazing and worked tremendously hard as a team. They were a credit to the school.”

Footsteps Through Oxford sold 148 copies in its first week and is now on sale at Blackwells and WH Smith.

Oxygen are following in the footsteps of another Oxford High School company, Eclectic, which won the regional final last year.

It is the fourth time in five years that an Oxfordshire company has taken the top honours in the South East.

Gordon Beech, chairman of the Oxfordshire Young Enterprise strategic board, said of Oxygen: “They have an excellent product and have shown real skill in developing their business.”