COASTLANDS School’s outstanding sustainability and global work has been recognised with a Sustainable Schools Acorn Award.

The award was presented by Tim Brew, sustainable schools officer, who said: “It’s great to be invited to present this award to Coastlands where sustainability has become such an important part of the life of the school.”

Headteacher Jeremy Evans added: “This is fantastic recognition of the work by staff, pupils and volunteers. I am proud of the way this work helps shape who we are as a school community.”

To be presented with an Acorn award, schools must have already achieved a Sustainable Schools Gold Award.

This shows they have integrated sustainability and global citizenship into the learning, civic life and management of the school.

The Acorn is acknowledgement they have continued to carry out and develop this work.

As part of their work on global citizenship, Coastlands School has an established link with another school in Zanzibar and they have taken part in teacher exchanges to develop this, which helps provide pupils with an authentic view of people’s lives from another culture. They have also investigated the data surrounding climate change and Zanzibar’s seaweed industry, developing their data handling skills and learning to use number to justify their ideas.

Health is an important part of sustainability; the school has introduced a number of activities to boost pupils’ physical activity and encourage healthy eating.

Pupils have visited local farms to see where food comes from, and they look after the school’s productive vegetable garden. The school has also introduced a “Good Grub Club” where pupils learn how to make tasty, healthy meals.

For a number of years, Coastlands pupils have taken care of the biodiversity on its grounds, and this year they have increased the number of bird feeders, bird boxes and roosting sites. The school also takes part in the annual RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch and are monitoring the impact this extra provision makes.