Mount Maunganui Primary School students Charlotte Taylor-Kafka and Sebastian Farrar are celebrating after scoring top marks in a national competition.

The International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) competition is a chance for students across the world to display their academic skills through an online test.

In a New Zealand wide category, Sebastian scored the highest total marks in Year 4 English, and Charlotte scored the highest total marks in Year 3 English.

Medals are also awarded as a prize for students who receive the highest mark in the country.

Mount Maunganui Primary School Deputy Principal Barbara Taylor says the school is 'super proud” of the students.

'To get the top mark in New Zealand in those categories is absolutely outstanding,” says Barbara.

'We've got a really strong teaching staff, and our students do really well overall.”

Barbara says the school's success is down to the 'partnership” the teachers have with parents and students alike.

'You have awards for sporty kids, but something like this is for kids who are academic. Children who are strong academically, sport, performing arts all deserve recognising.”

Barbara adds Sebastian and Charlotte are both 'extremely diligent” students, who have spent a lot of time reading ahead of the competition, but were still surprised by the result.

'They were both absolutely blown away. I hadn't told them they were medal winners, and invited their parents to the prize giving.

'Sebastian has an older brother who was at the prize giving and Charlotte had a cousin there too, so I was able to sneak the parents along without giving much away, which was pretty neat.”