YOUNGSTERS at a Colchester primary school will be hoping the sun shines on them.

That’s because £20,000 worth of solar panels are being installed on the roof of Lexden Primary School after a parent won a competition.

Ray Parker, whose eight-year-old daughter Lucy is a Year 4 pupil at the school, won the British Gas and Daily Mail-run competition after submitting 200 words on why Lexden Primary was a deserving winner. British Gas engineers have this week been gradually installing the 20 large panels, which measure about 4ft by 2.5ft.

Eco-Schools is an international award programme that guides schools towards becoming self-sufficient in enrgy.

It is one of five environmental Education programmes run internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

Helen Strutt, teacher and the Eco-Schools co-ordinator for Lexden Primary, said by next week much of the school would be powered by energy from the sun.

She added: “It has taken a while for the panels to be organised, but now everything has been fitted and hopefully we should be up and running by next week.

“This week they delivered the panels and they’ve been fitting them on the roof.

“It should make quite significant inroads in our energy bills.”

The school won because its eco credentials are impressive.

Classrooms are already lit by low-energy lightbulbs, which has made a dent in power bills over the past two years.

Last year, the school swapped its classrooms for tents to learn about the great outdoors, finding out about biodiversity, the importance of bees and the need to conserve water.

Mrs Strutt said: “We’ve been an eco-school for two or three years now, so we’ve been trying out all sorts of eco initiatives about saving energy and other things like recycling.

“I think the children are all quite excited.

“It also sets a good role model, as children can go home and say this makes a difference.”