LITTLE learners at Harvington CE First School have been presented with a silver award from Christian Aid’s Global Neighbours Scheme for their global citizenship work.
From recycling, saving energy and litter picks to supporting Ukrainian refugees, pupils and staff at the Vale school have been working hard to take their place as global citizens.
The accreditation scheme celebrates schools which are helping pupils learn about global poverty and the Christian responsibility to tackle it, as well as giving them the tools to play a confident part in creating a fairer world.
Headteacher Helen Fishbourne said: “The pupils learn about global issues regularly across the curriculum and gain an understanding of injustice in our world.
“Pupils have taken action as a result of their learning such as writing to our catering company asking them to source sustainable items and reducing packaging.
“The company have changed their practice because of this challenge and are now sharing this with all the schools they serve.
“We have a long-standing link with the Bishop Chitemo School, Tanzania. Children in both communities have written letters to find out about how life is lived in another part of the world.
“Pupils have been learning about examples of people who faced adversity and overcame this to be courageous advocates for change.
“These stories have challenged the whole school community to think about how each of us can make a difference in our local community and globally,” she added.
Alison Brown, Global Neighbours schools programme officer at Christian Aid, said: “It’s wonderful to see how staff and pupils at Harvington have taken it to heart and are seeking to tackle injustice.
“Christian Aid is also looking to recruit more volunteer teachers locally to go into schools to help us deliver the scheme. If you have experience of working with children and are excited about inspiring a new generation of agents of change, we would love to hear from you!”
Any primary school in England can join the Global Neighbours scheme. There are three levels of accreditation: bronze, silver and gold.
These are verified by independent assessors, who look for evidence across five areas: school leadership, teaching and learning; collective worship and spiritual development; pupil participation; and community engagement
Visit www.christianaid.org.uk for more.
