New Inn Primary School has become the first school in Torfaen to achieve the coveted Eco-Schools Platinum award and only the seventh in Wales. The Platinum award is the highest possible achievement within the Eco-Schools programme and has taken the school 10 years of hard work to achieve.
The Eco-Schools programme is an international initiative that encourages pupils to engage with environmental and sustainable development issues. Making sure pupils understood issues such as energy saving, litter and pollution were vital in gaining the award. Pupils at New Inn have taken key roles in decision making and participation in order to reduce the environmental impact of their school.
Matthew Bunt, the Keep Wales Tidy Eco-Schools officer said: "This is an amazing achievement and shows an immense commitment to ESDGC(Eduaction for Sustainable Development/Global Citizenship). The Eco-Committee and pupils of New Inn really do care about plant earths future. By creating habitats for wildlife, reducing waste going to landfill sites and saving energy and water they are making a vital difference."
The Eco-Schools Programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and is administered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.