Primary school pupil Althea Waites is flying high after her flag design won a competition – and it is now flapping outside the House of Commons.

Cambs Times: Althea Waites' flag outside the House of Commons.Althea Waites' flag outside the House of Commons. (Image: Archant)

The design by Althea, 11, from Whittlesey’s Alderman Jacobs School, was chosen from three put forward from the school’s Year 6 classes for the national House of Commons 2015 Flag Project.

Teacher Sarah Cox said the school was invited to enter the competition, which aims to introduce children to the concept of representation.

All the Year 6 pupils were asked to come up with a design that represents the local community.

Althea’s design incorporated the colours of all three of the schools and the Whittlesey Straw Bear.

It is now one of 80 flags designed by schoolchildren across the country that are flying in Parliament Square and Althea and her family took a trip to see it there.

The flags stem from an educational journey undertaken by children in more than 450 primary schools to discover the importance of elected representation in the UK Parliament – a project developed to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the House of Commons.

Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy said: “The 2015 Flag Project is a fantastic programme that has enabled young people to take a creative approach to thinking about what represents them and their communities.

“The project takes inspiration from our great democratic heritage of which we are rightfully proud, especially in this anniversary year of Magna Carta and the Montfort parliament.”