Ethical primary school wins national honours

Fairtrade is an arrangement designed to help producers in growing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships and tries to get away from products that exploit producers and damage the environment.

All Saints Primary in Appley Bridge has been given the FairAchiever national award by the Fairtrade organisation.

The school’s 2021-2022 Fairdo group of pupils organised an activity at the school summer fair which involved a quiz on Fairtrade, with a prize of a hamper - containing Fairtrade products of course.

The Fairtrade award assessor said: “What a brilliant variety of activities! The group was clearly thinking very creatively in planning their Challenges. The quiz would have provided pupils with the opportunity to get an in-depth understanding about Fairtrade, and the hamper prize was another great way to promote Fairtrade products.

“This was a good submission where the group of pupils has considered various aspects of the FairAchiever award and worked to meet the criteria.

This year’s Fairdo group are looking forward to continuing the Fairtrade work which first began at the school in 2011.

Headteacher Janet Dunn, who leads this work in school, said: “We are so proud of the work we do in school to promote Fairtrade and teach the children about ethically sourced goods and how they can make a difference to others through the choices they make.

“Our first national Fairtrade award was in 2012 and we have achieved it regularly ever since.

"Every child in school recognises the Fairtrade mark. According to the Fairtrade Schools Directory, we are the only school in the region to have received this award which is the highest of three available levels.

“Each year, children from each class are keen to take on this work and our Year 3 and Year 5 classes learn about Fairtrade as part of their topic work in the spring term when the national Fairtrade Fortnight is marked.”

Any school can promote Fairtrade and be accredited for their teaching and learning. There are three levels, Fairaware, Fairactive and Fairachiever. An evidence form is completed by the school and assessed before the award is given.