AN OTLEY School has been presented with two awards for its work on sustainability.

The awards were presented to Westgate Primary as part of Clean Air Day 2021 last week.Westgate has been awarded its first Eco School Green Flag after taking a number of steps to improve its sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint in recent years. Measures introduced include installing solar panels and LED lighting throughout the school, recycling all of its food waste, reducing single use plastics, reducing water waste, improving classroom recycling and tackling litter.

Westgate has also been awarded a silver Modeshift STARS award for its work on sustainable school travel. Over the last three years, school journeys solely using the car have reduced from 26 per cent to 7 per cent. Part of this reduction has been through an agreement with Waitrose to implement a 'Park and Stride' scheme for parents, so that they can park at the supermarket and walk the last stretch to school. Park and Stride schemes encourage parents and carers to park well away from the school gates and walk the last part of the journey.

Westgate has also been part of the School Streets pilot scheme this year, closing the road outside the school at the beginning and end of the school day. The school says the measure has encouraged more families to ditch the car, and made the area more pleasant for pedestrians, cyclists and scooters. The scheme could be made permanent, subject to public consultation.

The primary school's work has been supported with funding by Otley Town Council and Otley Lions, who have paid for the installation of additional cycle and scooter storage for pupils.

Head teacher Helen Carpenter said: "The children at Westgate take looking after our environment very seriously and we are all really proud to have achieved these awards, in recognition of their hard work and passion.The climate crisis will have a direct impact on their future so we are trying to do as much as we can to ensure they have a healthy planet to grow up on."