A pupil at a Barnet school is celebrating an early birthday present after winning a London-wide art competition.

Malik Crooks, nine, who attends Childs Hill School in Dersingham Road, beat 1,600 other school pupils across London to win the Mayor of London’s Fourth Plinth Schools Award with his picture of the Queen driving a Tube train.

He said: “I was really amazed when I heard I’d won. When I was younger I always used to practice drawing and I joined the school’s art club, which made me better at drawing. Becoming an artist is one of my dreams.

“I was thinking about the 150 years of the Tube being made and I was thinking of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and I thought why not put the Queen driving the Tube? The carriage turns around so fireworks could shoot out of it saying 60th anniversary.”

News of the award came as an early birthday present to Malik, who turns ten next Wednesday.
His art, drawn in pencil and coloured ink, is on display in a special exhibition at City Hall alongside the second and third prize winners.

Childs Hill School headteacher Dan Hawkins said: “The whole school is so pleased for Malik. Malik's painting really is something special. He always gives activities his full effort and attention and this success comes out of hard work and practice.

“Now that he is a famous artist I have commissioned a painting for my office, I just hope I can afford it.”

The Fourth Plinth School Award is an annual competition asking school children to produce an artwork inspired by the contemporary works that appear on Trafalgar Square’s famous fourth plinth.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “There was a fantastic response from young Londoners across the capital, bringing artistic flair as well as an inspiring awareness of London life. Congratulations to the winners and everyone who entered.”