Environmental issues are taught as part of the broader curriculum, including aspects of SMSC, Geography, History and Science. Wheatlands Primary School has an active eco-team who have developed an Environmental Code of Practice that encourages all the school community to reduce waste, travel sustainably, protect biodiversity and reduce energy use.
Wheatlands is an Eco-Schools Green Flag School having recently been awarded the prestigious ‘Green Flag’. This is a special award which is given to schools that take a proactive approach in making the school and pupils more environmentally friendly and aware.
We are also working towards Surfers Against Sewage’s Plastic Free Schools Award. As a committee, we focus on different environmental issues each term. Examples of activities we have carried out include: beach litter picks, energy audit and awareness-raising campaigns across the school, school ground improvements for people and biodiversity, regular walk / cycle to school campaigns and recycling in school. This year we would like to build on these topics and carry out a focus on the use of water in relation to the global context.
The committee typically meet on a fortnightly basis to discuss the direction and focus of the group, plus the children carry out additional tasks such as energy auditing. We have regular whole-school foci, such as inter-class energy-saving competitions and walk/cycle to school competitions and there is an assembly with an environmental focus at least once per term. Staff are kept involved and up to date in progress as part of the regular staff meeting program and this year we are going to begin a parent newsletter and the children will write articles for the school website.
Our Eco Code of Practice can be downloaded here
More information can be found at the Eco-Schools website www.eco-schools.org