IF YOU are not sure what makes a great Streets Ahead project, be inspired by Glasgow’s schoolchildren.

Nursery, primary, secondary and assisted support for learning schools across the city have been enthusiastic supporters of our community campaign since it first launched in 2011.

This year is no exception, and we have been amazed by the fantastic efforts of pupils, parents and staff determined to help their communities.

Leading the way are schools like Alexandra Parade Primary in Dennistoun, which joined forces with Glasgow City Council and local businesses to organise community days throughout the year.

These bring the school and its neighbours closer together, working on a raft of projects such as litter-picking or visiting the elderly.

We told you about their clean-up of school grounds, local sports pitches and the surrounding streets, involving around 100 volunteers, and the children’s subsequent visits to local businesses including Dell at City Park, Golfhill Care Home and Reidvale Adventure Playground.

At Bannerman High, 20 first-year Personal Social Education students carried out a clean-up around the school, responding to calls from local people, who keep them up to date with any areas suffering from litter.

The clean-ups have been taking place for around three years. Senior pupils, supported by Glasgow City Council, organised the project after delivering a lesson to the first years as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award preparation.

The pupils of Smithycroft Secondary School in the east end of Glasgow came up with a great scheme to help older tenants in the local area by distributing bags of groceries.

The project is part of a qualification the young people are studying at school, developed by Wheatley Group - the parent organisation of Glasgow Housing Association - and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).

The pupils worked with GHA staff to get some hands-on experience of a community project and came up with the idea of buying goods, including, tea, coffee and soup, packing them into bags and distributing them.

And who can forget the wonderful outdoor world of Mosspark Primary on the south side?

The South Side school transformed its dull, concrete playground into a wonderful wildlife garden complete with flowers, frogs and fabulous fruit and vegetables.

The garden was created by the pupils with help from one of the mums at the school, Kerrie Fitzsimons who runs Sowing Seeds, a company which helps schools and nurseries to create mini-allotments and wildlife gardens.

Pupil Erin Couper, nine, summed up what being part of Streets Ahead is all about.

“We think lots of schools should have wildlife gardens like ours, because it helps you learn about nature,” she said.