Eco-Committee

We are proud to announce that we have achieved our Green Flag for three years running. Each year, we include a new topic to work on, which strengthens our status as an Eco-School.

The topics which we focussed on this year are:

• Waste – we followed the 5Rs (Refuse, Reduce, Repair, Reuse and Recycle)
• Biodiversity – the children are flourishing whilst exploring our Forest School
• Transport – walk, bike, scoot or park 5 minutes away from school

All our classrooms have recycling bins and the children know which bins to use for what. We also carry out regular litter picks and invite parents and members of the local community to join us. In an aim to reduce our plastic waste, we recycle all kinds of plastic pens through a company called Terracycle, they then donate money to The Wildlife Trust and the local food bank. Our Year 3 children benefit from regular Forest School sessions where they plant, dig, explore, learn, make, nurture and light fires! All our pupils also learn about sustainable living and world-wide environmental issues during their BRAVE curriculum.

New for this year - transport. We aim to reduce traffic congestion, stay fit & healthy and improve the safety of our pupils and families. We are working with Sustrans (the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle) to encourage pupils and parents to walk / scoot / bike to school. Our Eco-Committee have been busy planning a Park and Stride scheme to help people to travel actively and plan where they can park away from school and finish the journey on foot. We have planted the seeds and this project will be launched in 2023/24 – watch this space!

What Can You Do?

We want our local area to be a place we are proud to live in and call home. Litter looks untidy and is harmful to local wildlife. Please encourage your children to use bins, recycling bins and to take their litter home.

Think twice before throwing something away. Could you mend it? Recycle it? Upcycle it? The less that goes into landfill, the better for our environment.

Could you reduce congestion and improve safety by walking, biking or scooting into school? If this is not possible, can you park 5 minutes away from school and walk in?

Our fantastic Eco-Committee works hard to encourage their friends to care for our environment, monitor our recycling and make important decisions about what to do next. Please encourage them and support our eco-initiatives in school.

What Next?

As well as continuing the well-established, environmentally-friendly daily routines connected to waste, bio-diversity and transport; next year, we will be working on a new topic. This topic will be decided by our Eco-Committee as a result of an Environmental Review which we will carry out in September 2024.

The hardworking team has grown over the years and they have enjoyed developing and spending time in our wonderful field, allotment, willow maze and woodland area so that all children can have fun and explore nature.

At Westgate Hill, we are passionate about raising awareness about the growing environmental issues and empowering people to make a positive change for the future. Together we can make a difference.