Eco Schools Initiative

BACKGROUND

During 2008, the school began to implement a ‘Creative Curriculum’ designed to enhance the learning opportunities provided for the children. It was recommended that a common theme be adopted across school for the summer term. That theme was chosen to be an Environmental one. Each class chose a particular related topic (recycling, energy, biodiversity etc). Two classes joined together (Butterfield and Devonshire) to undertake work focused around six of the nine key environmental topics in the Eco-Schools Programme:

Water
Biodiversity
Energy
Global Perspectives
Healthy Living
Litter
School Grounds
Transport
Waste

It was agreed, that as so much work had already been done, the school was in a good position to continue with the work and begin to apply for Eco-School Status. A committee was formed which was comprised of pupils, teachers, governors, school leadership and local community representatives. An initial Environmental Audit was undertaken which formed the basis of an Action Plan and the subsequent work led to our successful application for the Bronze Eco-School Award.

 

Current position

The major developments so far have centred on the Environmental Area in school – with tremendous support from OCI and Mr Mackley. Input from ASDA helped more structural work to be undertaken. We received a donation of £1000 from e-on and also a donation from the Oxenhope Straw Race Committee. All classes have been encouraged to look for opportunities to include some elements of the main environmental themes in their creative curriculum planning and regular assemblies have been held to share the progress with the school. An Eco-Code was adopted during one of these assemblies.

 

The Future

Future developments will centre around further improvements in the Environmental Area including a whole school composting scheme; a purpose built orienteering course and continued use as an ‘Outside Classroom’.  The school also has several targets which are linked to our School Travel plan. These will hopefully see systems in place to encourage a greater number of children and families to walk more often to school. Another major area will be the development of our Global Perspectives as the school has been trying for some time to set up an effective link with a school in the Southern Hemisphere. During the summer holidays this year, Mrs King visited Peru as part of a Professional Overseas Development Expedition for teachers. This was particularly appropriate for Devonshire Class as they had been studying the Amazonian Rainforest and the lives of children in Peru.

This is part of Mrs King’s report from that visit:

“We visited the Manu Learning Centre in the Amazonian Rainforest which is run by a foundation called CREES – a not-for-profit charitable organisation working to bring economic, social and environmental harmony to the Manu region. We did work, with other volunteers, to develop the bio-garden project which is helping educate local families on more sustainable agriculture; we extended a bird hide on the banks of the Madre de Dios river to encourage local tour guides to behave in a more responsible way when visiting the Macaw clay licks on the banks of the river; we visited 3 local schools and had the opportunity to talk to teachers and find out more about the limitations of the educational system in Peru.

I took with me some work Devonshire class had done – in Spanish – to share with a school if I had the opportunity. I was delighted to be put in touch with the local school at Atalaya and met with the school’s principal. This school is hopefully being ‘adopted’ by CREES later this year which means they will be able to pay for an additional teacher for the school and have more input into the quality of teaching there. Their aim is to help children develop better English skills as this is seen as vital for the children to get better jobs in future – particularly in the tourism industry which is expanding in the area. This is a delightful school with an enthusiastic and lively principal, and excited and happy children. I discussed the possibility of exchanging work and information with the principal and she was very keen to keep in touch. I also discussed with the CREES administrator how we could communicate effectively with the school and it was suggested that we would be able to use the CREES offices in England and Cuzco to forward packages via their volunteer network.”

 

ACTION TEAM

The Eco-School Action team will be meeting soon in the new school year and the link with the school in Atalaya will be one of the proposals for the new Action Plan.

 

MORE INFORMATION

www.eco-schools.org.uk

www.crees-foundation.org