Ponthir school gets Fairtrade honour (From South Wales Argus)

Ponthir school gets Fairtrade honour

4:40pm Friday 20th January 2012 in News

PUPILS and teachers at a Gwent primary school are celebrating a double, becoming the first in their area to achieve Fairtrade status, and retaining their Eco Flag.

Ponthir Church in Wales School is the first primary in Torfaen to secure Fairtrade status, earned through a series of events such as a Fairtrade Big Brew and harvest assembly.

The school has a Fairtrade and eco school council, which organised the aforementioned events and also persuaded Torfaen Catering to supply Fairtrade orange juice with children’s school lunches.

“That was a big achievement, and the Fairtrade ethos is firmly embedded in the curriculum,” said headteacher Mrs Cerys Spooner.

“This is a reward for two years’ hard work.”

Fourteen of the children’s 100 pupils are involved in the council, and the school has established a link with a school in Kassa Kunda, in Gambia, Africa.

Pupils have organised fundraising activities, sending money to help provide a safe well for a new school that is being built, along with stationery, toys and books.

Mrs Spooner said Fairtrade status has also helped in the retention of the school’s Eco Flag, with children also actively involved in encouraging safer parking around the school grounds, and in developing a school travel plan.

There are also proposals for a meadow area alongside the school, which would provide opportunities for outdoor learning and the study of local plants and wildlife.

A Fairtrade and eco party is planned for Friday, March 9, 2pm-3.30pm, to celebrate these achievements, and all are welcome to attend. For more details, visit the school website at www.ponthirchurchschool.co.uk