Wind of change at Climping school

At the official opening yesterday (Wednesday) there was not so much as a breeze to turn the turbine's 2.75-metre blades but the school's 96 pupils used their own energy to power hand-held windmills.

A digital display board in the school hall lets pupils keep an eye on how much energy the turbine has produced both daily and since it was installed.

The display also shows the amount of the harmful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that has been avoided by using the wind's energy.

Any surplus energy produced will be sold back to the energy network, creating revenue for the school.

Janet Llewelyn, headteacher at the school, welcomed the turbine, not only as an energy-saver but also as an educational tool. She said: "The children are now very interested in how their electricity is produced and in other forms of renewable energy."

Louise Goldsmith, county council cabinet member for the environment, said: "It's fantastic. We are looking for other schools to come forward, not just to use wind turbines, but other forms of renewable energy such as solar panels.

"I'm a keen environmentalist and the more we can do to promote renewable energy, the better."

The 34,000 turbine, which stands in one corner of the school field, was jointly funded by EDF Energy and the Clear Skies environmental organisation.