Ruby Changemaker award for Croyland Primary School

Date 27.06.2016

Pupils at Croyland Primary School have been recognised for making a positive change in their community with a prestigious Ruby Changemaker award.

The Changemaker Student Awards form part of the University’s commitment as an Askoka U Changemaker Campus to work with, celebrate and actively engage local schoolchildren in social change. The award aims to recognise, celebrate and build children’s skills as Changemakers through innovative self-designed projects in their schools and the wider community. The programme consists of three progressive levels; Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, which lead to a Changemaker Student Award.

Members of the school’s council were presented with the Ruby award by the University’s Vice Chancellor, Nick Petford, at a special ceremony on 27 June. The School Council was created by year two to six pupils, with members of the council being democratically elected by their peers.  These pupils then created an assembly, to keep the whole school update on their work.

Sarah Wright, Class Teacher and School Council Lead at Croyland Primary School said: “The children created a school council, specifically designed to create a platform for all children, regardless of the confidence levels, within the school a platform to give feedback and create change.

Janice Watkins, Project Lead (UCEE) at the University of Northampton said: “The Changemkaer School Awards is all about giving children a voice, enabling them to gain confidence, make decisions, take on responsibility, demonstrate teamwork and empathy, in fact equipping them with the skills for life.  I am pleased to say the Croyland Changemaker Team demonstrated all of these and more. It has been a real privilege to see the children become active Changemakers.”

The Changemaker Student Awards are open to all schools and colleges. For further information please email: schoolsengagement@northampton.ac.uk.