Pupils at a Staffordshire school have been praised for exploring the world around them as their unique attitude to learning is recognised as one of the best in the country.
Burton Fields, in Outwoods Street, has just been awarded the Geographical Association’s Primary Geography Quality Mark- Gold for its dedication to supporting children to learn about the world around them.
One of only two schools in Staffordshire to receive the Gold standard and only a handful in the Midlands, the school was picked out for the way it brings geography to life to make complex issues easy to understand after pupils’ work was chosen to be displayed at a national research centre in Antarctica.
Pupils from Burton Fields had their flag design chosen to feature at the scientifically important research centre in Antarctica following a competition to design a flag for the UK’s most southernmost continent.
Other projects the school has focused on include looking at life in different climates and threats to our environment such as large-scale energy issues and failing to correctly recycle, everything is designed to show how geography has an impact on all our lives.
Madelaine Burkett, headteacher at the school, which is home to 189 pupils aged 7 to 11, said it is important children grow up to have a strong understanding of the world around them and the environmental impact our choices have.
She said: “Our young people have the future of our planet in their hands. It is why as a school we are passionate about helping our pupils to understand about the world around them, how their choices impact the planet and what we can do to support each and every continent.
“We are so proud to have received this prestigious award from Geographical Association which recognises all the hard work of pupils and teachers in realising our aspirations to lead the way in creating a better future for all.”
Not the first time that Burton Fields has been recognised for going above and beyond to support children’s learning, the school last year received an International Eco School Award with Distinction and is also only one of a handful of schools in the Midlands with UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting School status.
Awarding Burton Fields with the gold status the Geographical Association said in its report: “A huge amount of work has gone into developing a geography curriculum which ensures that pupils at Burton Fields are curious about the world they live in and fully prepared for the next stage of their geographical education.”
The school, which regularly holds geography field trips to help children understand how concepts such as renewable energy and migration apply to their local area, have studied renewable energy usage in the town to see how we compare to other areas as well as taking part in the RSPB Big Bird Watch to learn about animal migration.
The school has also been chosen to share best practise across the Central Co-op Learning Trust in order to support other schools in creating engaging and world leading projects.
The school has also been recognised for its ecofriendly commitments by creating awareness of ways to improve the environment by encouraging children to travel sustainably and be aware of the impact leaving car engines idling outside the school can have on pollution and air quality.
They have also become a Hedgehog Friendly Campus by creating wild areas and hedgehog homes as well as using wildlife cameras to monitor animal visits on the site to record and look at new ways to attract more hedgehogs back to the area.
The Central Co-operative Learning Trust was formed in November 2017 and is made up of nine Midlands schools including six based in Staffordshire. Others in the Trust include William Shrewsbury Primary School, in Stretton, Outwoods Primary School and Grange Infant School, in Burton, and John of Rolleston Primary School, in Rolleston.
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