Lymington Church of England Infant School pupils honoured as top global citizens

PUPILS at Lymington Church of England Infant School have been presented with a bronze award from Christian Aid’s Global Neighbours scheme for their citizenship work – one of only six infant schools nationally to receive the award.

From tree planting and litter-picking to walk-to-school weeks, pupils and staff have been working hard to take their place as global citizens. The status is awarded in recognition of the school’s initiatives to encourage children to think of others throughout the world.

The accreditation programme 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 Julia Morris said: “We are thrilled to be recognised for the work we have done as a whole school community to raise awareness of the extreme inequalities across our globe, and perhaps more importantly, the steps we can take to address these.

“The pupils learn about global issues regularly and gain an understanding of injustice in our world. Our reception pupils have been learning about Fairtrade by visiting the local supermarket.

“They have then shared their learning with the community, encouraging families to support a more just way of shopping by buying Fairtrade wherever possible.

“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 tackling local pollution through the leadership of our Eco Team.”

Alison Brown, Christian Aid’s Global Neighbours schools programme officer, 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.

“It’s wonderful to see how staff and pupils at Lymington Infant School have taken this to heart and are seeking to tackle injustice.”