IF your school takes saving energy seriously, it might deserve a very special award.

Judges from the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy are asking for primary and secondary schools to nominate themselves. They are looking for evidence of ideas that show energy savings have been made such as generating energy with wind and solar among other things. Although lots of schools encourage the use of sustainable energy, only a handful make a real difference to the environment.

The Ashden Awards committee is looking for schools that have brought inspirational, practical and clever green ideas into the curriculum.

There are cash prizes of £20,000 up for grabs as well as special VIP treatment for the winners including making a short film about their work, introducing them to key policy makers, and most importantly, the awards will be presented at a glamorous VIP bash in London in June 2011.

Last year, two outstanding schools won Ashden awards: Okehampton College in Devon and St Columb Minor in Cornwall, for their actions towards carbon neutrality and their eco pledges. The awards were presented to them by Sir David Attenborough, who commented: “These award-winners are champions at delivering practical ways of protecting our planet and its precious biodiversity.”

To find out more about the Ashden Awards and to apply, visit www.ashdenawards.org/apply. The deadline for entries is 26 October.