KIRKBIE Kendal School's team in this year's Young Enterprise competition lived up to its name with a virtual clean sweep of the prizes.

The school-based business, named Big Cheez, walked off with the best company in South Lakeland award, along with a clutch of other prizes.

It is the first time that Kirkbie Kendal has claimed the top company accolade in the competition.

The success comes after the school secured business and enterprise college status earlier this year.

Deputy head teacher Patrick Earnshaw, who witnessed the school's comprehensive victory at Kendal Town Hall on Thursday night, said he was extremely proud of his students.

"I think it's a very good example of enterprise education for students. They have excellent communication skills and IT skills and their self-esteem and self-confidence was extremely high.

"To be able to develop our students in this way is one of the reasons why we wanted to be a business and enterprise college."

Mr Earnshaw said the Young Enterprise triumph followed Kirkbie Kendal Year 10 students' "resounding success" in a regional business competition called Academic and Company Partnerships for Lifelong Innovation Creativity and Enterprise, organised by the Bolton Institute and funded by the North West Development Agency.

Big Cheez now goes forward to represent South Lakeland at the countywide final of Young Enterprise, on home turf' at Kendal Leisure Centre next Friday, May 14.

As well as claiming the top prize, Big Cheez also scooped awards for the best company report, presentation and innovative product, and was also named runner-up for best trade stand a prize won by Inka of Dallam School.

Chairman of the judging panel Howard Cooke, of Talbot Insurance, praised the efforts of all the Young Enterprise teams, who had faced a "tough six months" running a business.

"Some teams fell by the wayside, but that's business. It's easy to open a shop, but it's harder to keep it open," Mr Cooke told the presentation evening.

He praised Kirkbie Kendal students, saying they had put together a very slick and professional presentation and had clearly gone all out to win.

The other judges on the panel were Tim Swayne of NatWest Bank and Audrey Taylor, economic development officer at South Lakeland District Council.

Meanwhile, Year 12 students are finding it increasingly hard to balance their academic demands with running a Young Enterprise business, according to Mandy Dixon, chairman of the Young Enterprise South Lakeland board.

"We have noticed this over the last two years. Now, with AS levels, there is more pressure on students with the extra exams."

She cited the example of Cartmel Priory School, which entered a Year 11 team in Young Enterprise for the first time this year.

Mrs Dixon said one option could be to run Young Enterprise over the winter and spring terms only, leaving youngsters free to concentrate on exams in the summer.

The team, trading as Gifted, won the prize for the business achieving the highest turnover at the Young Enterprise Christmas trade fair held at K Village, but youngsters were later forced to drop out due to the demands of doing GCSEs, said Mrs Dixon.

Other schools taking part in Young Enterprise this year included: Antiphase of The Queen Katherine School, Kendal; Ego of Casterton School; Purple Monkey of Windermere St Anne's School; and Zenith of Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale.