Congratulations John Wheeldon Primary Academy on becoming the first to achieve their Gold Bumblebee-friendly schools award.

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust said: “We were amazed by their application, which showed how much work they had put into completing the award. We especially enjoyed seeing the ambassadorial role the pupils took in sharing their bumblebee learning with parents and families, through enrichment days and beyond.”

Bumblebee-friendly Schools introduces students, staff and the wide school community to bumblebees. The scheme encourages positive actions that will make schools a better place for bumblebees and other wild pollinators. Schools complete a set of bumblebee-friendly actions and provide evidence to earn Bumblebee-friendly School accreditation.

Through pollination, bumblebees and other pollinators ensure the production and availability of some of our most nutritious fruits and vegetable and underpin entire natural ecosystems. In the last century, changes to the way we manage our land have led to a huge decline in bumblebee numbers, with two species of bumblebee becoming extinct in the UK.

Small actions and changes to the local environments, including schools, can create a genuine conservation impact for bumblebees, helping them to survive—and thrive!

For more information on the Bumblebee-friendly school accreditation please visit: https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/bumblebee-friendly-schools/