A middle school in Dorchester has been handed a national award for its care over environmental issues.

St Osmund’s CE Middle School on Barnes Way has received the Eco-Schools Award.

The nationally acclaimed ‘Green Flag’ is awarded to schools that demonstrate care about issues relating to the environment, as well as evidence of its desire to actively educate and participate in protecting the planet.

Gaining a ‘distinction’, the school was awarded the highest level of achievement possible.

In recent years, staff at the school have developed the ‘Ossie’s Climate Action Group’ or ‘OCAG’, as they are known in school. Led by Geography subject leader and Eco-Schools lead Hannah Mugridge, keen and enthusiastic students have been involved in a variety of initiatives.

This includes a sustainability themed Eco-Christmas Fair, clothes swap shops that coincide with charity non-uniform days in New to You events, recycling with Books 2 Africa, as well as litter picking, beach cleaning, analysing and improving energy usage and composting food waste from school lunches.

Sustainability themed work is also included in a variety of areas through the school’s curriculum.

Ms Mugridge said: “I am thrilled that we have achieved this award, and I am extremely proud of the projects completed by OCAG and the passion and determination that our young people have surrounding sustainability issues.

“OCAG has lots of exciting plans for the year ahead which will involve more people both inside and outside our school community, we can’t wait to get started.”

Head of School Gareth Biddle said: “OCAG’s work is a magnificent example of living out our school’s Christian values of hope, community, respect and love for our plant. From their lead and inspiration, students throughout the school get to learn and understand that we are all custodians of our world and that we hold and share the responsibility to look after it now and for the future.”

Eco-Schools is an international education programme that aims to prompt young people into exploring sustainability and climate change and take action. Eco Schools is implemented in 67 countries around the world with 22,000 registered 'Eco-Schools' in England.