This year, Rosslyn Park Primary School has made the decision to work towards an Eco-Schools accreditationby appointing their very own in-house eco-warriors. Mrs Fazal, eco-coordinator at Rosslyn Park is driving a range of eco-initiatives across the school thanks to a kind donation of specialist equipment from Nottingham City Council. This incredible gesture will enable pupils to successfully complete this project.
Eco-Schools began as the largest educational programme on the planet with 70 countries delivering the initiative worldwide – roughly 1.4m teachers and 56,000 schools have taken part. In England, the programme is operated by environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy. Eco-Schools focus on educating and empowering young people to lead environmental action in their school, local community and beyond. It does this by providing a simple, seven-step framework that turns pupils into forward-thinking, decision-making, planet-protectors. It begins with the formation of an eco-committee and the final step is an eco-code enacted as a school.
There are multiple reasons why Rosslyn Park has decided to embark on their journey to an Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation. Firstly, the planet (and all life on it) is already feeling the catastrophic effects of climate change, plastic pollution, biodiversity loss and a myriad of other environmental challenges. They want their pupils to be aware of the challenges they will continue to face throughout their lifetime and offer tangible solutions. Rather than avoiding or shying-away from these challenges, they want to engage young people in these conversations and provide them with the skills needed to find a solution.
As a Trust, we understand the importance of respecting our planet and by igniting the passion and skills within our children, it helps to shape their future for the better. Eco-Schools is a fantastic initiative for many schools to get involved in and we are delighted that our teachers and pupils are so driven by this programme.
Ultimately, our children will grow to become leaders, decision-makers and educators themselves. Alongside benefitting our planet, independent research has found that pupil participation in the Eco-Schools programme leads to increased confidence, development of leadership skills, improved behaviour and greater motivation at school. It also directly impacts the school grounds, as Eco-Schools consume less water, use less energy and produce less waste. By implementing these changes, they help to create financial savings for schools which can then be spent on important educational resources.
Mrs Fazal, Rosslyn’s eco-coordinator will be involving parents as well. Over the coming months parents will receive environmental hints and tips, invitations to litter-picks, marine-cleans and community gardening days. As the project progresses, Rosslyn Park may ask for donations of time, equipment or expertise. We are really hoping parents and guardians will see a positive difference in their children’s behaviour (such as recycling more, turning off light switches) as they develop a keen interest in all things environmental.
Francis Hyland, Eco-Schools Coordinator said:
“We love the work that Rosslyn Park is doing and we’re following their wonderful examples on social media. Since 1994, the Eco-Schools programme has engaged millions of young people around the globe, empowering them to actively protect our planet. By providing a simple, seven step framework, the Eco-Schools programme begins with pupil-led environmental action in school, then this quickly and inevitably expands into their homes and local communities.
“This approach allows young people to make a huge difference now, whilst providing them with the skills, confidence and motivation to continue making a positive difference throughout their lifetimes.”
Transform Trust is so excited to see what Rosslyn Park do next, from weaving it into curriculum topics to litter picking on the playground. We look forward to our eco-conscious schools working together to protect our planet in a multitude of ways. To stay up to date with all of the eco-warriors developments at Rosslyn Park follow Mrs Fazal on Twitter.
