Peterborough's Voyager is the first to fly eco flag

The Voyager Academy has become the first secondary school in the city to receive a Peterborough Eco Framework Flag.

The award is in recognition of its environmental achievements.

To secure the flag, the academy achieved five out of 10 certificates in different environmental categories.

These were health and happiness, culture and heritage, land use and wildlife, sustainable transport and equity and local economy.

It involved pupils working on a variety of projects, that included exploring heritage sites in Peterborough, setting up a community garden and offering Dr Bike & Bikeability Level 3 Class sessions to teach students about bike maintenance and safe travel.

Heidi Latronico-Ferris, the academy’s outdoor learning co-ordinator, said: “It is important for the students to take part in the Eco Framework because it allows them to discover the area around them and make positive changes at home.

“Not only does the programme enhance learning in all curriculum areas but it teaches life skills such as team work, leadership and problem solving.”

The framework was set up by the Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT) to help schools become greener whilst teaching about sustainability issues.

Some 97 per cent of schools in Peterborough currently take part in environmental education, which is one of the highest levels of uptake in the UK.

Project officer Jill Foster said: “The framework is positively changing the way pupils learn, through teaching them important transferable skills which they can use within other areas of the curriculum.”