REPLY letters from Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street have taken pride of place at Calstock Primary School after children decided to go straight to the top for their project work on saving the planet.

Year 4 pupils were asked to write to someone important within society to persuade them to change their ways to save energy or convince them to persuade society to change its ways.

For their topic, 'Extreme Earth', the pupils had been investigating what causes climate change and ways to reduce climate change — some of their suggestions were put to The Queen and Prime Minister David Cameron, such as not leaving the television on stand-by and introducing a reward system for saving energy within the home.

Senior corresponding officer at Buckingham Palace Sonia Bonici said in her reply to pupils: 'Her Majesty thought it was very kind of you to write to her and has taken careful note of your comments.

'This is not a matter in which The Queen would personally intervene. Nevertheless, as a constitutional Sovereign, Her Majesty acts on the advice of her ministers and I have, therefore, been instructed to send your letters to The Right Honourable Owen Patterson, MP, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, so that he may know of your approach to The Queen on this matter and may consider the points you raise.'

Likewise the correspondence from 10 Downing Street thanked the children for the time and trouble they had taken to get in touch and sharing their views on climate change.?It said the letter had been forwarded to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Year 4 teacher Kirsty McQuillan said: 'The children were overjoyed and so excited to receive replies from The Queen and David Cameron through their correspondence officers.

'This is the first time that Calstock Primary School has ever received a letter from Buckingham Palace and so it has been framed and displayed in the entrance hall for all to be proud of and admire.'