One south Norfolk school is leading the way in tackling the global threat of climate change.

Attleborough High School has received grants totalling �47,000 to fund schemes aimed at reducing its carbon footprint.

It will be sending four coach-loads of students to take part in the Climate Run, which it sees as a valuable opportunity for its youngsters.

Headteacher Neil McShane said: 'We are delighted to be taking part in the Climate Run.

'Environmental issues have a very high profile in our school as we view education as being about developing the whole person and preparing students for an increasingly competitive global society within which sustainability issues will be central.'

Over the past 12 months pupils have been boosting their green credentials with a series of environmentally-friendly projects.

In April the school hosted its first environment day, in which normal lessons were scrubbed off the timetable in favour of creative activities including making clothing, jewellery, sculptures and furniture out of recycled materials, as well as producing a 'green' newspaper and running an audit on the school's waste.

Joel Rodker, the school's lead teacher for the environment, said: 'We are addressing urgent problems such as energy use and deforestation so that our students can enjoy the same quality of life and wonders of nature that we're able to benefit from.'

Hot on the heels of the special day, 30 pupils from years seven, eight and nine took part in a three-day event called Artists for Climate Change which used artistic approaches to develop solutions to global warming.

Following the guidance of two visiting artists, the youngsters made sculptures out of card, planted trees around the school and created a 20ft diameter Mongolian yurt out of live willow, which has become a permanent living structure next to the school garden.

During the summer, work also began on a new pond as part of an ambitious plan by the school to create a conservation area which will involve developing a raised bed vegetable plot and leading to the construction of an outdoor classroom or amphitheatre.