Pupils reach out to share green ideas

CHILDREN at Stakesby Community Primary School do not have to look far for evidence of environmental endeavour.

All around them are shining examples of the Whitby-based school’s commitment to green issues. But crucially, the pupils themselves play a big part in the school’s eco-friendly approach.

And it doesn’t stop there. The school also reaches out to the community with its message, an aspect of the entry which was praised by the judges and helped it win the Young People’s award.

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The judges were also impressed that the school had embedded its environmental activities across all the year groups.

The school is one of only 17 schools in North Yorkshire to hold the Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation – an international award programme that guides schools on their sustainable journey.

At Stakesby Community Primary School, “eco-team” pupils deliver assemblies promoting carbon-cutting measures, while pupils also write to other local schools, businesses and organisations to share their eco-friendly approach.

Children have also been involved in designing a bike storage area to encourage children to cycle to school, while living willow sculptures provide sustainable shade.

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Members of the “eco-team” recently delivered a presentation at the Centre for Global Education at York St John University, encouraging teaching staff from other Yorkshire schools to embark on “an eco-journey” through the Eco-Schools scheme.

The team also wrote to local primary and secondary schools, Scarborough Council and Whitby in Bloom last summer, inviting them to join in a “Tidy Up” across Whitby, and Year 5 and 6 pupils hosted a garden party for the elderly to promote their ecological work.

There are also energy monitors in each class, as well as energy saving lighting across the school, and pupils are involved in recycling paper, cardboard, plastics, cans and glass, as well as garden waste.

Textiles are collected for the Salvation Army, as are toner cartridges, batteries and old jewellery. And the school even recycles unwanted furniture with a local organisation providing sheltered work for adults with learning difficulties.

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Wendy Holliday, environmental co-ordinator, said she was delighted the school had won the award.

She said: “There’s various things the children do to help our school think carefully about the environment and there’s lots of activities I’m quite confident the children will carry out of their own accord. They are very aware of the environment and they love to care about the school and its grounds.” In response to their win, pupils from the school said: “We are really happy that we won the award and we are really proud of our school. We all work hard to care for the environment and we were really pleased when we heard that Stakesby had won. We think it is important to look after the environment and we hope that more schools join in with helping to save our world.”

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