Pupils from Glencairn Primary School have been awarded a special recognition from UNICEF UK as part of a national scheme for respecting human rights in schools.

The Stevenston school was awarded the Silver Award for Rights

Respecting Schools for their work into understanding and learning the UNCRC Rights of the Child and bringing the ethos into the life of the school.

A large part of the

award is teaching children about their rights and encouraging them to use their voice to speak out and ensure they are having access to those rights.

The youngsters formed a steering group of 12 pupils, with one representative from each school class, ahead of a UNICEF accreditation visit that took place on May 24.

On receiving notification that they had won the award, a spokesperson from the school said: “The process has been a long journey over the past two years with lots of work from our Steering group of kids.

“One of our younger members of the Steering group, a primary three pupil, took it upon herself to take her role to the next level.

“Having learned about climate change as part of our Earth Day assembly and further topic learning in her class she asked her mum to help her to email and write to lots of local shops - B&M, Home Bargains, B&Q, and Morrisons to ask them for donations of plants and pots to plant in our school garden.

“Every shop that she contacted has donated lots of seeds, pots, plants with the latest delivery of three trolley loads from Morrisons.

“Our school gardening club have now planted lots of the plants, tomato plants, seeds as a result.”

Congratulations to the school and all the pupils who took part for their excellent efforts.