DANCE group Diversity have awarded a Blackburn school £25,000 after they came second in a schools competition.

Shadsworth Junior School in Blackburn entered the British Gas Generation Green competition which invited pupils to design their very own eco school, making the most of renewable energy. The Arran Avenue school was contacted by British Gas inviting them to enter and year five teacher and science coordinator John Warren asked his class to design their very own green schools.

Entries included solar panels, motion activated lights in classrooms, pave gentiles – which generate electricity from high traffic areas such as stairwells, and reed filtration from the nearby brook. Pupils who entered also had to write a statement saying why their school is eco-friendly.

Across the north west 210 schools entered and Shadsworth and St Albans Catholic Primary School in Macclesfield were chosen as the finalists in the primary school heat and invited to perform at Manchester Arndale Centre. The group of 12 from the Blackburn school created a dance routine for I’ve got Bills by Lunch Money Lewis and performed it on the pave gentile stage.

The flooring measured the amount of kinetic energy created and the school which created the most energy won. Shadsworth created 1,730 joules of energy, while the Macclesfield school pipped them to the post and created 2,000 joules.

The judges on the day were Jordan and Perry from street dance group Diversity. Shadsworth Junior’s won a £25,000 energy makeover for the school and have had experts from British Gas visiting to see how the money can be spent.

Proposals include solar panels above the school’s entrance to generate electricity, and energy efficient lighting.

The winning entry was submitted by year five pupil Ellie McLoughlin, 10.