A Dagenham sixth former has won an essay writing competition with her deep dive into sociology.

Amanda Daud, from Jo Richardson Community School in Gale Street, was today presented with an iPad mini and £250 cheque for her school from representatives of the British Sociological Association.

The 18-year-old triumped over A-level students across the UK, who were tasked with writing 2,000 words on what the discipline contributes to the debate over ‘fake news’.

“I have a keen interest in writing essays and expanding my knowledge of various topics and so the opportunity to research fake news in greater depth in relation to sociology propelled me to enter the competition,” she said.

Winning the competition, Amanda added, “fuelled my excitement” to study at Cambridge, where she has an offer to read human, social and political sciences.

“I am extremely proud of Amanda,” said her sociology teacher, Karen Evans.