Exeter school’s work tackling global poverty recognised

Students at St Peter’s CofE VA School have been presented with a Silver Award from Christian Aid’s Global Neighbours Scheme for their global citizenship work – the first secondary school nationally to be given this status.

Pupils and staff at St Peter’s CE High School have been working hard to take their place as global citizens. Among the projects they undertook was writing more than 1,000 letters to their local MP about the issue of a lack of adequate mental health support nationally being raised in PM Question Time. They also developed an innovative Young Enterprise Team, which established its own companies, and a group raising awareness of the harm of misogyny.

The accreditation programme celebrates schools which are helping students learn about global poverty and the Christian responsibility to tackle it, as well as giving them the tools to play a confident part in creating a fairer world.

Headteacher, Phil Randall, said: “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. The students learn about global issues regularly and gain an understanding of injustice in our world - St Peter’s students are leaders of HOPE; Courageous Advocacy and Spiritual Development are distinctive features of life at St Peter’s. It is wonderful to have our students celebrated as the first secondary school nationally to be awarded the Silver Award.

“Students have been learning about examples of people who faced adversity and overcame this to be courageous advocates for change. These stories have challenged the whole school community to think about how each of us can make a difference in our local community and globally.

“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, said: “The Global Neighbours accreditation scheme was launched in 2018 as a way of inspiring, engaging and helping young people to understand more about the inequalities in this world. By encouraging them to find their voice and be heard, the scheme equips them to become courageous advocates for change.

“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. We are delighted to celebrate their Silver Award in 2026 following their successful Bronze in 2024.

“Any Primary or Secondary school in England, Scotland and Wales can join the Global Neighbours scheme. There are three levels of accreditation: bronze, silver and gold. These are verified by independent assessors, who look for evidence across five areas: school leadership, teaching and learning; collective worship and spiritual development; pupil participation; and community engagement.”