Cantref the most wonderful school says David Bellamy

"Right now, you are the greenest, cleanest, most wonderful school in the British Isles", Professor David Bellamy told Cantref Primary School pupils last week (24th June).

Bellamy visited the Abergavenny school to award them with the David Bellamy Award for Environmental Cleanliness and a cheque for £8000.

The competition, organised by the British Institute of Cleaning Science, challenged children aged between five and 11 to think about their environment and how to keep it a cleaner, healthier and more inviting place to be. 

Terry Brooks, judge of the competition and the British Institute of Cleaning Science's Council Chairman, said:

"What swung it for Cantref was the way the pupils showed me exactly what they'd done.

"They showed me how they'd collected litter, they showed me all around the gardens and they also pointed out their butterflies."

Mrs Cathi Bolster, Head Teacher at the school, said:

"We are delighted that the hard work of our staff, children, parents and governors has been recognised with the award.

"Around 40 people turned up on a rainy day a week before the judging to do some last minute tidying and the hard work has paid off.

 "We would like to use the money to help to build an outdoor classroom at the school."

Professor David Bellamy met the parent volunteers and then attended a special assembly where the children sang his 1980 cover version of the song 'Brontosaurus Will You Wait for Me?'.

Professor Bellamy then toured the grounds with a group of children told them about the nature surrounding them.

He said:

"The school syllabus here is really going the right way and it's great that rural science is back on the agenda - we're having an agricultural renaissance in schools."