GREEN is definitely the colour to be at Okehampton Primary School, which is well on its way to achieving a coveted international award.

The school's Ecowatch group, which involves mainly key stage 2 pupils, has just celebrated its first birthday and has already notched up an impressive list of achievements.

And this week, at a special 'eco-assembly', town mayor Kay Bickley and BBC Radio Devon presenter and Okehampton resident Matt Woodley were there to mark the presentation of a silver award certificate to the school.

Cllr Bickley said: 'It is nice to see the children so involved. If anyone is going to make a change to the environment it is going to be these youngsters.

'Fran (Frances Rickwood) has made a real difference with making Okehampton Primary School think about what they can do to help and in terms of changing lives and minds — it's all about educating the children.

'At the end of the day, it's the children that badger their parents to be more energy-efficient. They are the agents for change and that is what it is all about.'

Matt Woodley said: 'I am totally inspired by the future. When I went to school we had none of this, everything went in the bin and we didn't know the consequences of our actions.

'My generation is still coming to terms with it but the children will always be aware of the effects of our actions and help to make the much needed difference to the planet.'

Brian Cunningham, headteacher, said: 'We really are delighted and very proud of what's been achieved here, and it's been achieved far quicker than any of us expected, it's really gained momentum.

'Gaining the award is down to the whole school community, who have really taken it on board. It's down to the children's efforts and those of Frances Rickwood, our eco-warrier — without their enthusiasm we couldn't have achieved what we have.'

The school now recycles all its waste paper, all key stage 1, playground and staff room food waste and all cardboard waste.

A litter pick is carried out every week in the school grounds and staff and pupils also recycle postage stamps, milk bottles and polystyrene.

Mr Cunningham said: 'We have eco-watch monitors who encourage everybody to turn off lights and close doors to keep heat in — they are quite tenacious about it!

'Every classroom has a recycling bin and we can really see the results, with clear evidence it's having an impact. For example, we only have one blue wheelie bin at school now because we've cut down our waste so much.'

During the last year, three raised allotment beds have been created and a shed has been installed, thanks to help from the town's Rotary Club.

The growing beds are being prepared for spring planting, helped along by compost produced by an active wormery and state-of-the-art composters.

Mr Cunningham said: 'Last year the children were able to enjoy beans they had grown themselves, and enjoy their potatoes, which our school cook roasted for them.'

The children have also enjoyed visits to the landfill site and recycling centre at Newton Abbot, met Mr Recycler, the rapping robot and make full use of the school's environmental area, completed thanks to a grant from the Breathing Places National Lottery scheme.

Two waste audits have already been carried out at the primary school and pupils and staff are currently awaiting the results of a third audit exercise.

Mr Cunningham said the school now had its sights firmly set on the highest award — the coveted green flag.

'We are now actively looking into the installation of solar panels on our roof to further conserve energy, and looking at an improved energy management system to control the school's heating,' he said.

Okehampton Primary is one of 40,000 schools around the world which have signed up to the Eco-Schools award programme, which guides schools on the route to sustainabillity.

Schools from more than 45 countries are involved, from France and Morocco to the UK and South Africa.

Schools which register on the programme follow a seven-step process which helps them address a variety of environmental themes, from litter and waste to healthy living and biodiversity.

The schools then work towards one of three awards, bronze, silver and the prestigious green flag, which symbolises excellence in the field of environmental activity.