West Buckland School scoops success in national Green Apple Awards

West Buckland School has won two silvers in the highly-regarded Green Apples Awards that recognise environmental efforts nationally and internationally.

The awards seek to find the greenest individuals, companies, councils, organisations and communities, with West Buckland competing against more than 1,000 nominations in the Environmental Best Practice category.

The school’s projects – its ‘Energy Reduction Programme’ and ‘Sustainability in Education – Whole School Approach’ were both commended by the judges for a switch to greener, more efficient energy options as well as a focus on sustainability right across everything the school does.

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The judges said of the West Buckland energy programme: “A school estate swapped fossil fuels for cleaner energy at scale. Ten biomass boilers now heat buildings, oil use has plunged and 888 ground-mounted solar panels provide on-site power.

“All new projects follow rigorous energy-efficient design principles. The result is a dramatic cut in emissions, lower running costs, and warm, well-lit learning spaces powered by nature.”

Of its ‘whole school approach’, they added: “West Buckland School placed sustainability at the heart of learning and operations.

“The campus gained solar generation, tighter energy use, food-waste monitoring and stronger recycling. Students formed an environmental and biodiversity society, won the Eco-Schools Green Flag with distinction and staged a Green Futures Day and summer festival.

“Governance matched the ambition, with plans, training and annual events driving continuous progress.”

The Green Apple Awards were held at a glittering presentation ceremony hosted by former BBC Education TV presenter Phil Williams at the House of Lords in November.

The awards are organised by The Green Organisation - an international, independent, non-political, non-profit environment group dedicated to promoting environmental best practice around the world.

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As a result this Green Apple Award success, West Buckland School has been invited to have its winning papers published in The Green Book, the leading international work of reference on environmental best practice, so that others around the world can follow the example and learn from the achievement.

The school could also progress to representing the country in the Green World Awards 2026 and have 100 trees planted in its name as part of the United Nations Billion Trees initiative.