Cullivoe named ‘sustainable school of the year’ 

Cullivoe Primary School representatives at the awards, pictured left to right, school cook Kathleen ‘Jen’ Henry, Head Teacher Claire Lawson, Una McMahon of award sponsor Fifty Shades Greener, Kaye Adams

Cullivoe Primary School has been named “sustainable school of the year” at a healthy meals awards ceremony.

The school in Yell may have just nine pupils but it managed to fend off competition from some of the nation’s most prestigious educational establishment to take the title.

Headteacher Claire Lawson said: “We’re amazed to have won.

“Cullivoe is an eco school, so sustainability is always at the front of our priorities.

“Recycling, the impact on climate change and shunning products with chemical ingredients are of the utmost importance and we strive to teach our pupils about the importance of living in harmony with the environment around us..”

Mrs Lawson attended the inaugural Scottish School Food Awards at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh on Thursday, with school cook Kathleen ‘Jem’ Henry.

The school grows its own potatoes, turnips and carrots and benefits from a long-established polytunnel to cultivate other crops such as sweetcorn and strawberries.

Potatoes are sold to the local community, as are strawberries which are at their best during the school’s summer holidays.

Pupils use crushed shells from local mussel farms to stop slugs attacking crops and add seaweed as fertiliser.

The school received its fifth prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag Award from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful last year.

The inaugural Scottish School Food Awards saw state-run schools win five of the nine categories.

Other categories covered issues such as nutrition, well-being and innovation, to technology,  community interaction and employee achievement.

Winners were selected by an independent panel of experts from the education, food service and technology sectors.