Tilehurst pupils celebrate Eco-Schools Green Flag award

Pupils at one West Berkshire school are celebrating receiving a coveted award.

Little Heath School pupils have been awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag.

Pupils at the Tilehurst-based school have earned international accreditation for all their hard work in making their school more environmentally friendly and raising eco-awareness.

In collaboration with eco-schools coordinator, Emma Saunders, pupils formed an eco-committee to assess how eco-friendly their school is.

They reviewed everything from biodiversity within their school grounds to how pupils and staff members travel to school.

Based on their findings, they planned a year of action designed to advance their school’s green credentials.

The plans included a daily energy-saving hour, recycling pens, sweet tubs and glasses, running a plant-based menu in the canteen, a community litter pick and planting five trees.

And this year, the committee plans to develop an underused area of the school to provide room for wildlife and an outdoor learning space.

“I was excited by the idea of making positive changes in our school, especially since I had never had any opportunities to do sustainability work before,” said Year 12 pupil, Aaron. “I had a lot of ideas on how we could be more sustainable and felt that this was the perfect way to not only suggest them, but to be involved in actually making them happen.”

“I am so proud of the passion and commitment the students in the eco-committee have shown over the last year in driving change for the good of our school, the wider community and our planet,” added Mrs Saunders.

“We have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic organisations and local people who have supported us and championed our students.

“We hope the Green Flag award will act as a springboard for continued change at our school.”

The eco-committee has been supported by Theale-based waste management company, Hubba, which provided a waste workshop, helped to build a bug hotel and funded and presented the Green Flag to the committee.

Accounts and sustainability champion for Hubba, Debbie Bale, said: “It has been a pleasure for Hubba to work with the school and we are delighted to present them with the eco-school Green Flag symbolising a commitment to a greener, more eco-conscious future.”

Eco-Schools England manager, Adam Flint, added: “The eco-schools Green Flag award is an internationally recognised symbol of high environmental standards.

“Their passion for protecting our planet is an inspiration to us all.”

The eco-schools programme was founded in 1994 and more than one million pupils attended an eco-school in England last year.

Visit www.eco-schools.org.uk to learn more.