The Provider:
Meadows First School, Worcestershire
Summary:
This Leading Aspect is the result of a process of linking good practice from across the school community to deliver a learning environment which is caring and supportive, but also stimulating, relevant and engaging. The process has had a positive impact in raising the awareness of sustainability of both pupils and staff as well as other members of the school community.
The Aim:
The enthusiasm and commitment of the whole school community to engage with projects that develop an understanding and care for the environment, both locally and globally, have become a main stay in our recent development and have achieved local and national recognition.
What do you see in the school?
Eco Schools Committee. it is clear that this Committee is the key driver for this initiative. The Headteacher has given her strong backing for this development and has empowered the lead teacher, Sarah Date. The Committee has elected pupil members and involves a number of staff.
The Eco code is a key vehicle for driving forward the inititave across all aspects of school life. This is developed by pupils and reviewed each year.
- Eco School Development Plan - There is an annual development plan that sets out the key priorities for the year. This includes mainstream curriculum planning, extra-curricular activity and theme weeks etc
- The Healthy Schools award provides a supportive framework which includes much of the Eco Schools developments
- The School Travel Plan includes the "Walking Bus" initiative, cycle training etc.
- There is a powerful synergy between these three initiatives. This has been a key to the positive impact of this Leading Aspect Award.
- The Headteacher has given strong support to the lead teacher to take this development forward. There is an awareness that, in the early stages, a great deal has rested on the shoulders of one person. However, the support base is growing and the drive to embed much of the activity through mainstream curriculum planning will secure the sustainability of this initiative.
- The Eco Committee provides a very strong and empowering vehicle for this initiative and it is remarkable to see the young children taking "equal" responsibility alongside the adults. There is a also a healthy mix of teaching and non-teaching involvement
- This initiative is most compelling in this criteria. There are very clear links to both the formal and informal curriculum.
- There are clear links to the formal curriculum. E.g. the Year India Project and Year 4 Environment Project. There are plans to extend these links to each Year group.
- The Forest School inititiative gives access to all pupils, at least once during their time at the school. This is an excellent on-site facility which lends itself to a wide variety of environmental and personal development activities. The lead teacher has ambitious plans to extend this resource as the school moves to its new buildings.
- The Eco Committee and Eco Club provide informal curriculum opportunities.
- There are them weeks such as the recent "Save It" week.
- The vehicle of the Eco Schools initiative gives a formal monitoring process. There is an annual review of progress and impact followed by a revised annual Development Plan.
- The Eco Committee provides an important monitoring vehicle and is particularly powerful in the use of pupil feedback. Circle Time techniques are used to empower pupil participation. The level of engagement by the young children is quite remarkable.
- There are some very specific monitoring activities.e.g. the tracking of the schools electricity and water consumption
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- The school is part of a LA Eco Schools community and the staff and pupils have been able to share and gain expertise
- There are many links with external organisations through this initiative. eg. local supermarket around healthy eating, RSPB, etc
- There have been some good links with the contractors building the new school to ensure that the initiative can evolve further. e.g. the water and electricity meters will be accessible to students, there will be a new conservation area created etc.
Pupils have been involved in sharing their good practice at:
- Worcestershire Healthy Schools newsletter
- Worcester Eco Schools Celebration
- Severn Trent "Be Smart"
The lead teacher has shared her expertise through:
- District Healthy Schools meetings
- Eco Schools meetings
- Eco Schools conference
What difference does it make?
· This initiative has clearly had a significant impact on the school. The initiative has many layers and aspects from very local issues such as the schools energy consumption to global issues such as the availability of drinking water in the Third World. In addition, there is a broader agenda than the pure Sustainability focus in terms of pupils' personal development.
· Examples of impact/outcomes include:
· Reduced energy consimption in school (and at some homes!)
· More pupils walking to school
· More healthy eating and greater awareness of healthy lifestyles
· Increased recycling in the school
· Increased involvement in and understanding of the local and global environment
· Increased involvement in decision making, taking responsibility etc.
From where is evidence collected to prove the Leading Aspect?
- Curriculum planning documents
- Discussions with Headteacher and lead teacher
- Displays, pupil work
- Eco Committee records
- Eco Schools and Healthy Schools folders
- Eco Schools folder
- Eco Schools Portfolio - including annual development plan, evaluations of previous work
- Eco Schools status
- Healthy Schools Award - portfolio of evidence against award criteria
- Meeting minutes
- More formal evidence includes:
- Other teachers, support staff, pupils and parents all confirmed the strong leadership of this initiative.
- Photographs
- Portfolio of evidence of work of Eco Schools Committee including notes of meetings, development plans, Eco Code displays, records of activities, photographs etc.
- Powerpoint presentation
- Press cuttings
- Pupil work and displays
- Statistics on energy consumption, pupil travel etc
- The annually reviewed Eco Code is the most visible manifestation of the high status of this initiative.
- The Eco Schools folder contains records of review processes and successive Development Plans. This includes a formal Eco Schools Audit tool.
- The pupils and parents are perhaps the best ambassadors for this criteria. They speak very enthusiastically about the positive outcomes of the various acitivities within this initiative. They can quote personal examples of how they have changed their attitudes and actions.
- The records of the Eco Committee provide evidence of regular review and evaluation.
- There are formal records of the Eco Committees work. It interconnects with the School Council and with the Healthy Schools and Travel Plan developments.
- There are many examples of events and activities documented in the Eco Schools folder and evident through displays, press cuttings and photographs.
- There are many examples of events and activities documented in the Eco Schools folder and evident through displays, press cuttings and photographs.
- There is a wide range of evidence for this criteria, including:
- There is evidence in curriculum planning, pupil work etc.
- Travel Plan - written evidence of plans and activities
The Verifiers Comment
- Meadows First School has demonstrated a broad and coordinated approach to developing a school with a strong ethos of sustainability. The initiative is very wide ranging and impacts on all pupils and families.
- The linkage of this theme to the Healthy Schools and Travel Plan development is particularly powerful.
- The on-site Forest School is a wonderful resource that develops pupils interpersonal skills as well knowledge of their environment.