A company turning old wooden pallets into furniture has made it through to the finals of a national competition for young entrepreneurs.

Pupils at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys impressed judges with their firm UpRAW.

They won the South East regional final of the Young Enterprise Company of the Year on Monday at Guildford Cathedral in front of an audience of 300 people.

It is thanks to their idea of upcycling discarded pallets to make chairs, stalls and wine racks.

Also taking home a prize on the day was Roger Manwood’s School in Dover, which won best trade stand.

Their business InTEQuk makes teaching kits for primary school children, allowing them to build their own electricty-generating wind turbines.

The Kent schools beat off six other finalists from Kent, Sussex, Surrey and the Channel Islands.

Tunbridge Wells head teacher John Harrison said: “They have really done well with this environmentally strong company, which has a product that is unique in this year’s competition.

“We have done this competition for a number of years because it’s a really fantastic way of helping groups of students to get used to working together to overcome problems.

“It’s a tremendous vehicle for them to develop their presentation and communication skills and learn about marketing, planning, manufacturing and sales.”

The team of 19 students was led by head of business and economics Paul Carey, teacher Huw Jenkins and Young Enterprise advisor Philip Mummery.