It is this very dedication that has earned the school the prestigious title of Most Sustainable School in the Western Cape<\/a><\/strong> as part of Nature Connect\u2019s Sustainable Schools Programme in 2025!<\/p>\n The exciting announcement was made at the Sustainable Schools Western Cape Rewards Ceremony, recently held in Cape Town, which marked the final event of the national rewards roadshow.<\/p>\n According to Nature Connect, this award recognises St Mary\u2019s RC Primary School<\/a><\/strong> for its\u00a0long-term commitment to sustainability, strong\u00a0whole-school participation, and\u00a0a culture of consistency.<\/p>\n Despite being a low-fee-paying school and facing ongoing challenges in securing support and resources, St Mary\u2019s has\u00a0remained\u00a0committed to its sustainability journey.<\/p>\n The perseverance, consistency and determination shown by teachers, learners and the school community alike make this recognition especially well deserved.<\/p>\n Over the years, the school has shown sustained engagement across several focus areas, including\u00a0Production, Consumption & Waste\u00a0and\u00a0Community & Social Responsibility.<\/p>\n One of St Mary\u2019s long-standing strengths has been its active and well-structured\u00a0Eco-Club, made up of Grade 6 and 7 learners who meet weekly and lead a range of sustainability initiatives.<\/p>\n These include recycling drives, clean-ups,\u00a0Spekboom\u00a0propagation, and peer awareness activities that help build learner leadership and shared responsibility across the school.<\/p>\n Supported by partners including\u00a0PolyCo, the school has also developed a comprehensive recycling system and, last year, received a new recycling centre to help formalise and strengthen its recycling efforts even further.<\/p>\n What makes St Mary\u2019s RC Primary School\u2019s achievement especially encouraging is the\u00a0school\u2019s long-term\u00a0commitment.\u00a0The school has been part of the Sustainable Schools Programme since its\u00a0inception\u00a0in 2021, and its recognition as the Western Cape\u2019s top school reflects steady progress built over time.<\/p>\n That progress has been shaped by\u00a0passionate\u00a0teacher leadership, regular participation, and a clear willingness to keep learning,\u00a0growing\u00a0and improving year after year.<\/p>\n While St Mary\u2019s RC Primary School received the province\u2019s top recognition, other Western Cape schools were also acknowledged for strong sustainability action in specific focus areas.<\/p>\n These included\u00a0Pinelands High School\u00a0for Biodiversity,\u00a0Parkwood Primary School\u00a0for Health & Well-being,\u00a0Silvermine Academy\u00a0for Energy & Climate Action,\u00a0St James RC Primary School\u00a0for Marine & Coast, and\u00a0Sweet Valley Primary School\u00a0for Water & Sanitation.<\/p>\n Additional\u00a0awards recognised progress and learner leadership.\u00a0Bel Porto School\u00a0was acknowledged for Best Progress by a New School,\u00a0Harmony Primary School\u00a0was named Most Improved, and\u00a0John Graham Primary School\u00a0was recognised for its outstanding Eco-Club.<\/p>\n At the heart of the Sustainable Schools Programme is the belief that environmental learning should be practical, relevant and connected to everyday realities \u2013 values St Mary\u2019s RC Primary School has reflected strongly through a wide range of learner-led, curriculum-linked and community-connected actions.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.goodthingsguy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/st-marys-rc-primary-2.jpg\")
Long-term engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Recognising excellence across the province<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nSources: Nature Connect<\/em><\/h6>\n
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