From litter picking and composting to engaging with their MP about climate justice, pupils and staff at a Thurmaston junior school have been working hard to take their place as global citizens.

Church Hill Church of England Junior school 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.

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.

Mrs Brown (Headteacher) 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.

“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 seeing the impact they can have on improving the local environment as well as every class having the opportunity to raise global concerns with our MP about climate justice.”

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.

“It’s wonderful to see how staff and pupils at Church Hill CE Junior 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.”