OKEHAMPTON Primary School has been highly commended for its environment work in the Unison Devon county branch green awards.

They were among the winners of this year's John Mejor Award which celebrates outstanding contributions to the conservation of Devon's natural and built environment.

The school was highly commended for its environmental projects.

Shebbear Community School in Beaworthy also won the School/Youth category for its bee garden, designed to help increase the bee population, which is currently under threat of extinction.

Judges chose Okehampton School because '. . . it has carried out a range of environmental projects over the past few years, which have become integrated into the working practice of the school curriculum.

'The school has a dedicated eco-school co-ordinator who works with the pupils five mornings a week.

'Projects include an Environment Area containing a pond, hedges, fire-pit, bat and bird boxes; a forest school and an allotment to grow fruit and vegetables which are used for delicious school dinners.

'The school has won three gardening awards and is seen as a flagship school by Devon County Council for the amount of compost it produces.'

Next year the school hopes to plant a small orchard to help encourage the bee population and to organise a 'Nature Week' to celebrate its achievements.

An awards ceremony will take place on September 21 at Devon County Council's offices in Exeter.