A school in Dorchester has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award after a year of environmentally friendly campaigns.

Damers First School has been shortlisted for the Sustainable Schools Award at the annual TES Schools Awards.

Damers’ submission included winning four awards in the Young Enterprise Fiver Challenge last year.

Its students have also been leading a campaign to make Dorchester plastic free in which it has signed up 60 businesses so far and the school’s Eco-Team went to Westminster earlier this year to meet Environment Secretary Michael Gove and discuss the importance of an ‘all in’ system for the Deposit Recycle Scheme.

Headteacher, Catherine Smith said: “We are so pleased to have been nominated for a TES Sustainable Schools Award for a second year running. This is a significant recognition of the school’s work in this area and one which our whole community should feel incredibly proud of.”

TES editor Ann Mroz said: It is wonderful to see such great ideas and excellent practice emerging from our schools and teachers, especially at a time when schools are under financial pressure. We had a record number of entries this year and the standard was very high, so all those shortlisted should be very proud: it’s an extraordinary achievement to be on this shortlist.

The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London on Friday 21 June 2019.