A CARLISLE school has been handed a prestigious award for getting its pupils involved in green activities.

Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School, based on Hether Drive, has won a Gold Award from The Woodland Trust for starting initiatives ranging from tree planting, visiting a local woodland, reducing carbon emissions to recycling.

The award is part of the Green Tree Schools programme, which has seen about 12,000 schools sign up since it was launched in 2008.

It offers the opportunity to bring the great outdoors, wildlife and green issues into the classroom.

The schools win awards for participating in activities.

Headteacher Nicky Corfield said: “We are delighted with this award.

"As a school we have developed our outdoor provision and we give high priority to outdoor learning.

"Children regularly visit the woods, take part in gardening activities, woodland workshops and learn how they can help to care for our environment.

"We see the positive impact this has on our children’s mental health and their progress and attainment in all areas of their learning.

Karen Letten, Woodland Trust schools and communities engagement manager, added: “The scheme promotes a range of opportunities, each designed to stimulate a child’s imagination and sustain their ever increasing interest in woods and trees.

"The achievements of the school are recognised through an awards scheme in which they receive points for taking part in activities.

"As they reach milestones within the project they will receive bronze and silver certificates and then an attractive wooden plaque which acknowledges they’ve achieved the environmental accolade of a gold award.

"I hope Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School will now be going for our next accolade, the prestigious platinum award.”

The Woodland Trust says that its vision is to see a UK rich in native woods and trees for people and wildlife.

The charity is dedicated to protecting and restoring ancient woodlands for future generations.