SCHOOLCHILDREN in Hartley Wintney have picked up a prize for their work on green issues.

Greenfields Junior School, in Green Lane, has achieved the Eco-Schools bronze award for its efforts in making it more sustainable.

Pupils set about trying to achieve the status after the school received a set of free solar panels from the Hartley Wintney Solar Action Group in 2012.

They formed an eco-committee and started focusing on recycling at the school, with help from Recycle for Hampshire’s Schools Recycling Programme.

Last year the school took part in Eco-Schools’ Switch-Off Fortnight campaign, which raised awareness about energy use, and a biodiversity project where pupils identified and counted bumblebees on the school site.

They also made a film about recycling and Year 6 pupils wrote letters about climate change.

On Monday, Geoff Galliver, member of Fleet and District Beekeepers Association, presented the Bronze award during a whole school assembly.

Headteacher Linda Platt said: “Our eco-warriors have enthused the whole school and made everyone think about ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

“We are very proud of our achievement and we are planning actions to achieve the silver award next year.”