Oundle and King's Cliffe Middle School is doing its bit to save the planet and many of its initiatives come from the pupils.

The Mercury has teamed up with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society to find the area's Green Super School which could win the top prize of £1,000.

Year 5 pupil Poppy Wells, 10, entered the school into our contest, which came as a surprise for staff.

Her class teacher Lindsey Chatwin said: "It was a huge shock, we didn't know anything about it as Poppy hadn't told us.

"It is great that the children, especially Year 5, read the newspaper and recognise that our school would fit into the description."

The school educates youngsters aged between six and 13 years at its two sites in Cotterstock Road, Oundle, and King's Forrest, King's Cliffe.

Each class has a recycling bin, emptied weekly by Year 8 pupils, and there is such a strong ethos at the school that Year 6 pupils insisted on using recycled materials to make an Egyptian necklace during a recent history lesson.

The lights in empty rooms are turned off after three minutes thanks to automated switches and the King's Cliffe site has new windows to retain heat.

Green-fingered pupils are also hoping to attract more wildlife to the sites by growing vegetables and flowers through the new gardening club and they are litter picking in their lunchtimes.

The school is looking to increase its green efforts by installing water butts and multi-functional recycling bins.

Miss Chatwin said: "Pupils come to us and say this is what we want to do. They have some great ideas."