Exeter pupils are first in UK to win top Christian Aid accolade

An Exeter school has become the first secondary school in the country to receive a silver award from Christian Aid for its work tackling global poverty and injustice.

St Peter's Church of England High School was presented with the honour through Christian Aid's Global Neighbours scheme, which recognises schools helping students understand global inequality and take action to address it.

The school previously received a bronze award in 2024.

Among the projects undertaken by pupils was a letter-writing campaign in which more than 1,000 letters were sent to their local MP raising concerns about mental health provision, prompted by debates in Prime Minister's Questions. Students also set up their own companies through a Young Enterprise programme and launched a campaign raising awareness of misogyny.

Headteacher Phil Randall said the award reflected the school's commitment to developing students as global citizens. "We are thrilled to be recognised for the work we have done as a whole school community to raise awareness of the extreme inequalities and injustices across our globe and more importantly, the steps St Peter's students take to address these.

"Our world is increasingly connected, and our hope is for our children to grow as responsible global citizens who care about issues such as the environment, mental health and misogyny."

Sarah Potter, children and young people's officer at Christian Aid, praised the school community's commitment. "It's fantastic to see how the whole school community at St Peter's have taken this to heart and are seeking to tackle injustice," she said.

The Global Neighbours scheme, launched in 2018, offers three levels of accreditation: bronze, silver and gold, assessed across five areas including school leadership, pupil participation and community engagement. It is open to primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland and Wales.