WESTLEA Primary School has been awarded the prestigious Food for Life Gold award for its healthy and climate-friendly food culture.

The award sees the school recognised for using practical learning experiences to reconnect young people to the food they eat, following the journey from field to plate.

On Friday they welcomed members of the Food for Life team to the school for a special presentation of the award, and for them to see first-hand the work the school carries out.

Deputy headteacher and healthy schools lead Sarah Sumner explained the school had been working on the programme for the last five years, first being awarded the bronze award before notching up the silver level as well.

Mrs Sumner said: “The award reaffirms our belief in healthy schools providing children with really good food and providing opportunities and life skills above and beyond the curriculum.”

She revealed that each of the pupils receives 14 hours of cookery classes a year at the school and that the school had also recently developed a number of raised beds for growing food and crops – with the help of a “Grandparents Groundforce” who had come in to offer assistance.

The school is one of only 11 in the whole country to have received the gold standard.

James Cashmore, director of Food for Life said: "I'm delighted to announce that Westlea Primary School has achieved the Food for Life Gold award for creating a healthy, sustainable and enjoyable food culture within the school and its community to the benefit of everybody involved.

"The school shows what real 21st century education is all about, which is using real life experiences to teach the curriculum and providing the next generation with solutions to what threatens their future, namely climate change and the obesity crisis. By empowering the young people to make informed food choices and giving them the skills to grow and cook food for themselves and their families."