Fairtrade Turns 30 Poster Competition

As part of our Fairtrade fortnight, we ran a competition for children to design a Fairtrade poster with Fairtrade products and information about Fairtrade.  Well done to our winners Martha in 3HP and Iris in 4TB, who both received some Fairtrade chocolate.

Fairtrade Becket Biscuit Bake Off 2024

Well done to all of the children who took part in the Fairtrade Becket biscuit bake off final. They all worked very hard and produced some delicious biscuits. The recipes were outstanding and the children put in lots of research to find as many Fairtrade ingredients as they could.

Eight teams were chosen to make their biscuits. Local councillor Hazel Thorpe, Worthing Fairtrade Group chair Rod Thick and Co-op Pioneer Bob Smytherman judged the Bake Off, along with members of the school community. Due to all the biscuits being so delicious, the judges found it extremely difficult to choose the winners!

We would like to say huge congratulations to Millie and Yasmin for winning the Bake Off with their sandwich biscuits, and well done to everyone who took part.

We would also like to say thank you to Bob Smytherman & Co-op in South Street, Tarring for donating prizes to everyone that participated in the Bake Off.

Fairtrade Award 2023

We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded our FairAchiever award by Fairtrade Schools. Mrs Mayes, Mrs Taylor and the Eco Committee completed the application form highlighting all our Fairtrade work over the past few years, such as our Y6 Biscuit Bake Off, bunting competition, logo banana and our PSHE Fairtrade classroom work.

Fairtrade School commented – ‘This is a good application where you have considered the aspects of the FairAchiever award and worked to ensure you have met the criteria. You have not only enabled the children to recognise the Fairtrade Mark but understand what it represents. Congratulations on your achievements!’

Fairtrade Becket Biscuit Bake Off

Our Y6 children shone again this year during our annual Fairtrade Becket Biscuit Bake Off. In pairs, the children were asked to research and create their own biscuit recipe using as many Fairtrade ingredients as possible.

Eight teams were chosen to make their biscuits during Fairtrade Fortnight. Local councillor Hazel Thorpe, Worthing Fairtrade Group chair Rod Thick and Co-op Pioneer Bob Smytherman judged the Bake Off, along with members of the school community. Due to all the biscuits being so delicious, the judges found it extremely difficult to choose the winners!

We would like to say huge congratulations to Ella and Grace P for winning the Bake Off with their tahini chocolate chip cookies, and well done to everyone who took part, including Archie and Olli who came second, and Grace R and Matilda who came third.

We would also like to say thank you to Bob Smytherman & Co-op in South Street, Tarring for donating prizes to everyone that participated in the Bake Off.

Fairtrade Assembly 

Our Fairtrade assembly was designed to be student-led, where children explored the seemingly familiar banana, while developing an understanding of the wider impact of its growth, transportation and market value. We wanted the children to become confident individuals, boost their self-esteem and develop empathy whilst developing their assembly. 

5ML researched where bananas come from and why we cannot grow them in the UK; they discovered that bananas are actually a type of herb. We calculated that 5 billion bananas are eaten every year in the UK and were all amazed when this was equated that if we laid them end-to-end, they would go round the Earth 12 times.

We then discussed that we would expect the banana farmers to earn enough money for their trade. We were shocked to learn that most farmers did not have enough money to feed their families, nor could they send their children to school or pay for medicines.

By researching the supply chain, we discovered that the farmer at the end of the chain is the worst affected and often live in poverty. These farmers also have the least power because they are not in a position to demand better prices from large companies like supermarkets.

This led us on to research Fairtrade - important because it means the farmers receive a fair price which will cover the cost of production and make their hard work worthwhile. Then we discussed a co-operative, where small farms join together so they have more power, and any extra money is fed back into the community.

The children were pleased to learn that the small act of paying for Fairtrade items could support farmers and their families and enable children in Columbia to be able to go to school, just as they do.

Fairtrade Fortnight

The Eco Committee learnt that if you choose to buy Fairtrade chocolate, you know that the farmers and workers who produced the cocoa receive an additional Fairtrade Premium on top of the price of their crop, which they can invest in their communities, be able to cover the cost of education, food, health care and to fight the effects of climate change.

Fairtrade Bake Off 2022

Y6 children entered our Fairtrade Bake Off. After reading all the recipes, Mrs Mayes and Mrs Watts had the difficult decision of choosing 10 pupils to take part in the Bake Off. The children worked extremely hard to use as many Fairtrade ingredients as possible, and baked their biscuits in the Cooking and Nutrition room.

Our guest judges - Councillor Hazel Thorpe, Bob Smytherman representing Southern Co-op and Rod Thick from Worthing Fairtrade Steering Group - found it extremely difficult to choose a winner, and all commented on the delicious biscuits and how hard the children worked.

Well done to Ella and Zanthe for winning the Bake Off!

Fairtrade Bake Off

16 children took part in our Fairtrade Biscuit Bake Off. We had such a lot of entries with wonderful recipe ideas using lots of Fairtrade ingredients. Mrs Mayes and Mrs Watts found it really difficult to choose just 8 pairs. Hazel Thorpe, Mayor of Worthing, local Councillor Bob Smytherman and Rod Thick from Worthing Fairtrade Steering Group were part of the judging panel, along with a few members of staff.  The children worked well together and all made such delicious biscuits, which made the judging extremely difficult.

The winners were Amy and Chloe in 6RW.

Huge congratulations to the winners, and all the year 6 children who took part. 

Fairtrade Award

During the Summer term Mrs Mayes and Mrs Moulding applied for our Fairtrade award. We are pleased to announce that we have been successful in renewing our Fair Achiever Award with Fairtrade Schools.

We received wonderful feedback from the assessor who was impressed with how we had implemented Fairtrade into our teaching and learning.    

'Wow – what a wide range of different actions you have taken in your school, from engaging with Fairtrade Fortnight to all the outreach to local schools and the wider community that you have helped to facilitate'.

'What an exceptional policy statement, it is so encouraging to see how seriously you take your Fairtrade engagement'.

Fairtrade Coaster Winners 

Fairtrade Biscuit Bake Off

Fairtrade Assembly 2019

During our Fairtrade assembly Ellie from Chartwells came in to talk to us about Fairtrade.

We talked about the importance of buying Fairtrade products so that farmers who grow foods such as bananas, cocoa beans, nuts, tea, coffee, vanilla etc. receive fair pay. Farmers who receive Fairtrade pay for their products are able to support their communities by helping to build schools and hospitals, and send their children to secondary education. 

Fairtrade Fortnight Bunting Competition

Fairtrade Fortnight 2018

Our Fairtrade ‘Biscuit Bake Off’ took place on Tuesday 27th February 2018.

All children in year 6 had the opportunity, with a partner, to create their own recipes using as many Fairtrade ingredients as possible. We had lots of entries with Mrs Watts and Mrs Mayes choosing the best 8 to take part in the bake off.

All teams worked well together and everyone produced excellent and very tasty biscuits using Fairtrade ingredients such as sugar, icing sugar, bananas, dark, milk and white chocolate and cocoa powder.

Our judges had a very difficult decision to make and scored each biscuits on taste, appearance and texture. Some judges found the decision so hard to make that they went back for a second tasting!

The winners were Hannah and Jennifer in 6RW, with their chocolate drizzle biscuits.

Congratulations to them both and well done to everyone who took part.

Fairtrade Hot Chocolate Cones

During Eco Club the committee made hot chocolate cones for Christmas using Fairtrade hot chocolate and chocolate buttons.

Worthing Fairtrade t-shirt competition

Worthing Fairtrade Town Steering Group are pleased to announce that Liberty in year 4 is the winner of their 'Design a Fairtrade t-shirt' competition.

Fairtrade Design a Wrapper Competition

Fairtrade Rice  

The Eco Committee decided to use funds raised last year to donate bags of rice to our Harvest Festival, with all donations going to Worthing Churches Homeless Project.

We are also pleased to announce that we have sold another 90kg of rice, which has enabled a Malawian farmer to send a child to secondary education for one year. 

Fairtrade Footballs

We are pleased to announce that between the P.E department and Fairtrade committee we have been able to purchase some Fairtrade footballs to use within school and clubs. 

Fairtrade Achiever Status August 2016

During the Summer term Mrs Mayes and Mrs Cherry applied for a Fairtrade award on behalf of the school, and we are pleased to announce that we have gained our 'Fair Achiever' Status.

‘It is clear to see that you have worked hard to ensure that you raise awareness for Fairtrade both in the school and in the wider community. Well done!’

We are proud of our continuing work as an Eco School, and thank you for all of your awareness, hard work and dedication that makes this possible.

Fairtrade Quiz Winners

The children entered a Fairtrade quiz during the E.Y.E Eco Summit event and we are pleased to announce that we came 1st and won £20.00 for Fairtrade items within school.

5CS receive a reply from the Prime Minister

Sir Peter Bottomley MP has kindly handed our letters regarding ending the era of tax havens for the super-rich to David Cameron.

We are pleased to announce the Prime Minister has written back informing us how tremendously well written the letters were and how they show the pupils care about this important issue. He also mentions how much Sir Peter enjoyed judging our Fairtrade Biscuit Bake Off!

Sir Peter Bottomley MP discusses Fairtrade Issues with 5CS

Sir Peter Bottomley MP Judges Fairtrade Biscuit Bake-Off

The annual Fairtrade Becket Biscuit Bake Off was held today, Friday 11th March 2016. The purpose of this event is to promote Fairtrade Fortnight and to encourage children to bake using Fairtrade ingredients. We had many entries and the best 8 were chosen to compete in the final.

Competition was fierce. All teams produced a lovely batch of biscuits using Fairtrade ingredients such as bananas, sugar, chocolate and cocoa powder.

Sir Peter Bottomley, MP for Worthing West, visited the school today and met with children in 5CS who had been working on a Fairtrade topic. He then met with ‘Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood’, (alias Nessa and Benjamin) in the Cooking & Nutrition room to judge the biscuit competition. The biscuits were judged on appearance and taste. It was very close. All the biscuits were beautifully presented and tasted delicious.

The winners were Javier and William, year 6, with their chocolate, oats and banana biscuits.

A huge well done to them and to everyone who took part.

90kg Rice Challenge

We have been working with Worthing Fairtrade Steering Group and Just Trading Scotland in the rice challenge of eating someone out of poverty.

In Malawi only 1 in 3 children attends High School and education is one of the most effective ways to escape poverty. By selling 90kg of rice this amount would enable a Malawian farmer to pay for a year’s basic secondary education for one child.

We would like to inform you that we were successful in our quest to sell 90kgs of rice and received a certificate from Just Trading Scotland to thank us for our support.

Thank you to everyone who supported and purchased a bag of rice. 

Fairtrade Rice Challenge

With our kind donation from Sir Peter Bottomley of £30.00 towards our Rice challenge we purchased 12 bags of rice and donated these to Worthing Churches Homeless Project. Abi Harley, Volunteer Co-ordinator and Community Fundraiser, visited school to collect our donation and thanked us for this kind gesture towards their food banks.

During the Year 7 Lion King production we sold our Fairtrade rice and by the end of the last show we had managed to reach our target of 90kg bags sold. This will enable a Malawian farmer to pay for a year’s basic secondary education for one child.

Fairtrade Rice and UN Summit

The Year 7 children have been looking at the importance of education and the impact it has on the future of children around the world. 58 million children around the world are still missing out on education and our children have been thinking about how that is not acceptable.  They have been thinking about what they would do if they were leaders and how education would be on their agendas. The children sent their ideas to Sir Peter Bottomley MP who has passed them to David Cameron on our behalf, to support the issue at the UN summit in September.

We have been taking part in the Rice challenge, in partnership with Scotland’s Just Trading, whereby if we sell 90kg of rice, this would enable a Malawian farmer to pay for a year’s basic secondary education for one child.  We have also been looking at how the UK could make trade more fairer and  how adopting the new UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through trade would be a powerful way to boost income and tackle poverty.  The children have raised these issues with the Prime Minister, hoping he will support our ideas of new trade policies which would result in fairer and more sustainable trade.

A letter from Sir Peter:

Dear Children,

It is good you are concerned about these important issues. I am too.

In Parliament, I served years ago on the Select Committee on Development overseas.

Outside, I served as a Trustee of Christian Aid.

To save time, I have sent your letter to David Cameron, the Prime Minister.

I hope his office or the Department for International Development will respond to you directly, with a copy to me. This may come during the summer.

I would welcome meeting you but most days this term require me to be at Westminster.

Your teachers might be in contact with Sally Myers here with me on 0207 219 1060 to see if an arrangement can be agreed.

Here is a Charities Aid Foundation voucher for £30. Please add it to the sums you are raising. Do write in the name of a charity.

You will know that a previous Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, did much to help set the Development Goals. There has been progress. Before that, in 1980 I sat with Margaret Thatcher in her study. We were discussing the similar points for children around the world that she would be making at the United Nations.

You are right to mention the importance of trade, especially fair trade and fair opportunities for trade.

Let us hope we can discuss these issues together.

Yours sincerely,

Sir Peter Bottomley MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA