After months of hard work by pupils (mainly from Year 5 and 6), teachers and volunteers to change the school's culture, the school was presented in January 2020 with its Plastics Free Schools Award from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).

The school have reduced or replaced single-use items like pudding cups and cling film, supplied each child with a long-life water bottle and started re-purposing things like bagel bags to store and transport things. In order to earn the award the school had to complete several challenges with Year 5 pupils leading the way. The challenges included creating an action group to deal with litter and single-use plastics; conducting a 'trash mob' litter pick (pre Covid-19 restrictions); writing to companies who produce single-use plastics and asking how they could reduce it; recording plastic used at home; and sharing results through a newsletter and 'eco assemblies'.

Even though they've got the award, the children at Hollinswood Primary aren't resting on their laurels and are thinking of their next moves.  Mrs Bearblock said: "Even though we have completed the tasks for earning our SAS award, the children would like to do more. "There are still many more items that the children wish to investigate removing from the school environment. "One of the next items on their list is the reduction of unnecessary plastic wrapping that is often a part of a wide range of items delivered to school."