Welsh School Gets Peace Award

6th October 2016

Gungrog Church in Wales Nursery and Infant School (in Welshpool, Powys) has been awarded a Peaceful Project Award for their wonderful peace work. Sue Hulme presented the award certificate on 16 September 2016, on behalf of the UK Peaceful Schools Awarding Board. The children in the photo are Grace and Callum, Gungrog’s Super Ambassadors.

Head Teacher, Justine Baldwin, explains: ‘Two children are chosen each year to work on behalf of the Children's Commissioner for Wales. They talk to the other pupils about the Rights of the Child. The Super Ambassadors get sent challenges by the Children's Commissioner and they have to raise the profile of the work of UNICEF and children's rights in all areas of the school. We chose them to accept the award and to take Sue Hulme on a tour of the school. Grace and Callum in the photo are in Year 2 (the top year in the school) so they are 7 years old.’

Gungrog school's peace work highlights:

• The beautiful outdoor quiet reflection area (photo above) and the peace wall (photo below).
• A strong focus on peace in all aspects of the school community.
• The promotion of community cohesion/feeling.
• Supporting pupils when they transition to junior school - so important.
• The fact that they involve everyone in developing their school's values and the very good way that they use these values in a range of situations.
• Their use of Philosophy for Children.
• Great art work.
• Their willingness to bring various people and organisations into the school to enrich the life of the school.
• Their concern to meet the needs of all their children as evidenced by their new Nurture Room! Fantastic!

Anna Lubelska, Founder of the Peaceful Schools Movement, said: 'Gungrog is so small and obviously not that well funded and yet they are a shining example of what can be achieved by a dynamic and visionary school community!'