STUDENTS at a Rossendale school have gone green and picked up a coveted environmental award.

Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School has been awarded an Eco-Schools Silver Award for its environmental work.

Staff and sixth form students have worked hard for 12 months looking into waste reduction, transport, energy, healthy lifestyles and improving the school grounds.

The award is part of the Eco-Schools scheme, an international project supported by organisations ranging from the RSPB to the National Trust.

The scheme aims to help children become more effective citizens by encouraging them to take responsibility for the future of their own environment Most schools in Lancashire have signed up to the scheme but the grammar school is only one of 16 schools in the county to win silver status.

The award is obtained online after the school completes a lengthy self-assesment test showing a commitment to embracing green issues.

St John The Baptist RC Junior School, Burnley, is the only other in East Lancashire to achieve the accolade.

A major project has been the creation of a new garden area for pupils, after building work reduced recreation space.

The terraced garden has been built entirely by staff and students, using reclaimed materials where possible, and is now well used by pupils of all ages.

The team has also targeted excessive paper use in school, made suggestions to reduce energy use and is encouraging more students to cycle to school with plans for secure cycle storage.

The school has also adopted a policy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and is looking at issues surrounding biodiversity.

Students at the grammar school say they are eager to embrace green issues and have a number of projects running at the school.

Co-chairman of the school's action team, sixth form student Tom Hyatt, said: "It's fun, engaging and rewarding. It's definitely worth being a part of."

Now the school plans to use assemblies as a platform for pupils to raise awareness of global issues and a new pond is to be installed to increase the diversity of wildlife in the school grounds. Pupils will be encouraged to build nest boxes to attract birds and bats.

The Eco-Schools project was started by physics teacher David Archer, who said: "There is a lot of interest in these issues and plenty of good ideas from the staff and students.

"Our aim is to achieve the highest Eco-Schools Award, the Green Flag, in about 12 months."