St Gwladys Bargoed Primary has become the first school in Caerphilly County Borough to be awarded a Platinum Eco Flag.
The prestigious national award has been achieved by only twenty nine schools in the whole of Wales and recognises a commitment to the environment.
Children, led by their Eco Committee, have recycled a range of items from newspapers, plastic bottles, batteries, and ink cartridges to Yellow Pages. They have also monitored energy conservation within the school.
St Gwladys was a joint winner of the UK Yell Challenge Award in 2008 and has been successful in numerous competitions. The community has played their part too, responding to such initiatives as the Trolley Dash and Waste Not Wednesday.
Eco Flag assessor Matthew Bunt recognised “the excellent whole school approach that was demonstrated and the work of a knowledgeable, articulate Eco Committee,” and said that “there are always innovative Eco Projects in place at St Gwladys”.
Headteacher Kathryn Evans said: “It is very heartening to see the commitment of young people in tackling pressing global concerns in a practical way at local level. Their determination and enthusiasm has been remarkable and we are all very proud of them.”