The Downs School Eco Club wins Green Flag Award again

The Downs School & Sixth Form has won its latest award only a week into the new term.

The school’s eco committee was presented with another Eco Schools Green Flag Award for its thorough action plan helped to keep the school green and tidy.

The school already has a popular vegan, vegetarian and gluten free menu, with all of its food freshly made on site.

But this time, judges praised their efforts keeping the community informed of its work through social media, the headteacher’s blog and work in the school grounds, most notably with the Therapeutic Garden and eco curriculum input.

Eco-club leader, Helen Hicks, said: “Eco Schools is such a great programme for motivating our students, focusing them on what’s really important and how to make a difference.

“We have over 20 committed volunteers and we were commended for our work in reducing plastic waste, building a super bug house and supporting our Year 9 sustainable Eco Day.”

As part of the Keep Britain Tidy initiative, Eco Awards are presented to schools which have followed a strict criteria for over a year.

Schools that complete the seven steps — which can be adapted for any setting, budget, and timescale — can apply for the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag award.