Picture caption: Pupils celebrate earning Plastic Free School status at Uphill Village Academy.

Young eco warriors at Uphill Village Academy who have worked tirelessly to protect their community from environmental harm have earned a national award for their school.

The team of green activists have led a whole-school effort to identify the plastics which were being brought into school, and worked to reduce them.

Pupils at the Weston-super-Mare school designed and led assemblies, newsletters and lunchtime activities to educate their classmates about the harm of single-use plastics, and encouraging them to use alternatives instead.

And this work was not limited to the classroom, with the children also encouraging their families to reduce plastic use in the home.

Their work has resulted in the accreditation of Plastic Free School status awarded by the organisation Surfers Against Sewage.

Plastic Free Schools is a pupil-led, ground-breaking programme designed to equip young people with the tools to understand the problems of single-use plastic.

It starts with conducting a single-use audit across the school and throughout the year works towards reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic from school, for good.

The programme also encourages the children to reach out to local businesses to encourage them to reduce the amount of plastic they use as well.

Uphill Village Academy teacher Mark Hancock, who co-ordinated the initiative, said:

“Our aim is to free where we live from single-use plastic: the avoidable stuff that’s everywhere. Things like plastic drinks bottles, disposable coffee cups, sauce sachets, bathroom plastics, excessive food packaging, takeaway containers, etc. The list is quite exhaustive! These are the things that are having a huge impact on our environment and which we can make changes in our lives to eliminate.

“The children have been passionate about making these changes and have been fantastic advocates. They have also encouraged their families to make changes in the homes, too, which is a great.”

Picture caption: Pupils celebrate earning Plastic Free School status at Uphill Village Academy.

Minerva Primary Academy pupils enjoyed a fabulous afternoon contributing to the upkeep of their school.

The Bristol students took part in a community jobs session, working together to tidy and improve key areas of the school.

The outdoor learning area, playground, and library were given special attention, with pupils enthusiastically taking on tasks to enhance these spaces. Their hard work has ensured that these areas are clean, organised, and more welcoming for the whole school community to enjoy.

A spokesperson at Minerva Primary Academy said: “It’s wonderful to see our pupils taking such pride in their school environment and working together to make a real difference. Their teamwork and dedication have truly shone today.”

The school continues to encourage a strong sense of responsibility and community spirit, and this afternoon’s activities highlight the importance of teamwork in keeping Minerva Primary Academy a happy, safe, and inspiring place to learn.

A talented young artist from Monkton Wood Academy has triumphed over thousands of other students to be named the winner of the Cabot Learning Federation artist of the year competition.

Year 9 student Elsie Ryder’s outstanding line drawing, a unique blend of an everyday scene and famous artwork, impressed audiences, earning her the top spot through an online vote.

Her work had been displayed in an online gallery alongside art created by students from other CLF students between Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Elsie said: “This is an amazing surprise! I am very passionate about art and have worked so hard on this piece. I am absolutely thrilled to receive this award.”

Created as part of her Key Stage 3 Art lessons, the impressive piece took Elsie approximately 10 hours to complete. The inspiration for her artwork came from the celebrated self-taught landscape and portrait artist Ben Hughes.

Elsie’s passion for art is set to continue, as she has now chosen to pursue the subject at GCSE level.

Working across the Cabot Learning Federation’s (CLF) Arts curriculum network, this initiative was created to help showcase all the wonderful artwork being produced across the federation.

All academies had the opportunity to put forward their own Artist of the Year, with finalists’ work displayed digitally in an online exhibition. CLF staff, students and the wider community were invited to visit the virtual gallery and vote for their winner.

The gallery earned 14,000 views and 1,250 votes were cast.

In recognition of Elsie’s achievement, she was presented with a personalised leather art roll by Steve Taylor, CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation.

Heather Essadiq, CLF Curriculum Curator for Art and Design, said: “The wide range of work produced, at such high standards, is a testament to the creativity and hard work of CLF students. One collective community, supporting and raising the next generation of artists.”

Howards Motor Group visited Haywood Village Academy this week to celebrate the products that the company has helped finance for the school. Representatives from Howards were delighted to see the school put the £2,500 donation to use, pupils across the school with a variety of resources for outdoor play and classroom activities.

The donation enabled the purchase of iPads, which Key Stage 1 students have been using enthusiastically. Children shared how the iPads support their learning, with one student explaining, “We play TTRS Rockstars and Numbots on these to help with our number skills!” The school’s HVA radio pod DJs were excited to receive new headphones, and the outdoor play area saw an upgrade with new footballs and clipboards for drawing and note-taking. One Year 4 pupil eagerly demonstrated his goalkeeping skills using the newly acquired rebound ball equipment. In addition, Pre-school facilities were enhanced with new furniture, including storage units for loose parts and a much-needed changing table.

Mr Jacob Hollings, Retail Operations Manager for Howards Toyota, stated the Group’s commitment to investing in local communities: “Supporting local schools and initiatives like this is incredibly important to us. With a strong presence in Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil, Dorchester, and Taunton, we take pride in our long-standing history of giving back to the communities we serve. Whether through donations to schools, local sports clubs, or other causes, we stay committed to making a positive impact.”

Chris Lee, Managing Director of Howards Motor Group, added: “Our Howards Family Charitable Partnership Programme was set up to ensure that we are contributing to the well-being of our communities in meaningful ways. By supporting local schools like Haywood Village Academy, we’re helping to create environments where children can thrive both academically and personally. It’s wonderful to see the immediate impact our donation is having here.”

Mr Jones, Principal of Haywood Village Academy, expressed his appreciation for the support: “It’s widely known that school budgets can be very challenging, so we are hugely appreciative of this generous donation from Howards Motor Group. The new equipment will positively impact the children’s school experience. We feel very supported, and it has been fantastic to be visited by Jacob so that he can see how resources like these can enhance the children’s day.”

More than 300 Bristol students from Years 7, 8, and 9 at King’s Oak Academy recently took part in an engaging and educational workshop aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol and alcohol abuse.

The workshop was delivered by Collingwood Learning through its innovative and inspiring program Smashed.

The Smashed Project uses a combination of live theatre, video, and interactive workshops to vividly illustrate the real-life consequences of alcohol misuse. Sessions are designed to help students understand the long-term effects alcohol can have on their lives, encouraging them to make informed decisions.

The program is supported by online resources to continue the learning beyond the classroom.

Collingwood Learning, known for using creative and immersive methods to deliver impactful education, says on its website: “When the world inevitably throws out choices, be ready to make an informed one.”

Daniel Jackson, Second in Health & Community Partnerships at King’s Oak Academy, praised the workshop, stating: “This was a great production delivered in a memorable and fun manner. We look forward to hopefully welcoming back Collingwood Learning to deliver more key messages around PSHE in the future.”

The Smashed workshop is part of the academy’s ongoing commitment to ensuring students are well-equipped to make positive and informed choices for their future.

Children at Uphill Village Academy are enjoying a new addition to their playground – thanks to a two-year fundraising drive by school supporters.

Youngsters at the Weston-super-Mare primary school have returned from their summer holidays to find an exciting new maritime installation for them to play with.

The wooden sailing ship was designed by the children themselves, when school leaders encouraged pupils to draw up plans for their ideal piece of play equipment.

And their playground vision was brought to life thanks to the school’s Parents, Teachers and Friends Association, which has been raising money towards the project for the past two years.

Sam Hodder, Principal at Uphill Village Academy, said:

“When we were looking for an addition to our outside space, the children were asked to design their ideal piece of play equipment as part of an Easter competition. Many of them came up with some form of boat, which is reflected in the finished design.

“We are grateful to the members of our brilliant PTFA for their dedicated fundraising over the past two years to raise money to build this. They’ve done this through fetes, selling ice lollies in the playground, quiz nights, discos and a big 90s night fundraiser at the Tropicana.

“The end result is a fabulous addition to the play facilities at Uphill Village Academy – the children here love it already.”