St Mary’s RC Primary is recognised for its work to help food producers earn a proper wage

Supporting a living wage for the world’s food producers has won special recognition for St Mary’s RC Primary School at Axminster.

It has been granted Fairtrade School status after winning a ‘FairAchiever Award’, which it will hold for the next three years.

The school council began working with their reception class teacher, Dr Alison Trew, towards becoming a Fairtrade school in the Spring term of 2012.

During the last two years the School Council has helped to organise Fairtrade stalls and special Fairtrade events such as ‘Big Brew’ last year and, more recently, ‘Fairtrade Fun with Bananas’. The children have written letters to various groups within the school community – including governors, staff, and PTFA - to ask them to consider buying Fairtrade items whenever possible.

New Fairtrade polo shirts have been purchased for the school and are being used in PE lessons and Fairtrade tea and coffee has been served at school events.

Said a spokeswoman: “We really believe that buying Fairtrade is an important way we can help to improve the lives of the people who grow our food and supply many of the things we use every day, and we are really delighted to have this award. Congratulations to our whole school community on such a fantastic achievement.”