Yorkshire schoolchildren’s work tackling global concerns recognised with national award.

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From foodbank donations and litter picking to a climate action workshop, pupils and staff at Norland Church of England Primary School, in Sowerby Bridge, have been working hard to take their place as global citizens.

Norland Primary has achieved Bronze Award status in Christian Aid’s Global Neighbours scheme, in recognition of its initiatives to encourage children to think of others throughout the world.

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The accreditation programme celebrates schools which are helping pupils learn about global poverty and the responsibility we have as individuals and as a community to tackle it, as well as giving them the tools to play a confident part in creating a fairer world.

Abbie Whittle, Head of School, said everyone was thrilled to be recognised for the work the children have done.

Children from Norland Primary School litter picking.Children from Norland Primary School litter picking.
Children from Norland Primary School litter picking.

“As a whole school community we have been working to raise awareness of inequalities, and perhaps more importantly, the steps we can take to address these,” she added. “We are particularly proud of this as a small, rural primary school and are looking forward to continuing our work in this area as part of our curriculum in years to come.

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“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.

“Our world is increasingly connected and our hope is for our children to grow as responsible global citizens who care about issues such as the environment and access to healthcare. The children have especially enjoyed thinking of the future and planting a tree, litter picking and putting in place an environment action plan, in addition to raising funds for local and global charities. One of our pupils also took litter picking out into the community as part of a Sowerby Bridge litter picking event which was fantastic to see.”

Alison Brown, Global Neighbours Schools Programme Officer at Christian Aid, said: “The Global Neighbours Scheme was launched in partnership with the Church of England’s Education Office with a vision of helping young people understand more about the inequalities in this world and helping them to become courageous advocates for change.

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“It’s wonderful to see how staff and pupils at Norland CE Primary have taken this to heart and are seeking to tackle injustice.

“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.”

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