Eco-Schools and Green Tree School

     
 

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Bredon Hill Middle School currently has a Eco-Schools Bronze award.

More about the Eco-School Environmental Audit

Green Tree Award

Bredon Hill Middle School currently has a Gold award as a Green Tree School.

Bredon Hill Middle School has been awarded a gold award by the Woodland Trust for getting involved in green activities including tree planting, reducing carbon emissions and recycling.

The Green Tree Schools initiative, which has seen over 2,500 schools sign up since it was launched in 2008 offers schools the opportunity to bring the great outdoors, the wonderful world of wildlife and green issues into the classroom.

The new DT Garden (June 2009)

See also DT Garden in Our School

The Eco-Schools Programme is focused around nine key environmental topics

Eco-Schools Environmental Audit

To improve our award Eco representatives from each form and also the premises manager completed either a simple or more detailed audit in June 2009.

The results were consolidated into the linked audit summary and action plan.

The nine key environmental topics

Water

  • Reduce unnecessary water consumption.
  • Assess how much we use by looking at the water meter.
  • Identify leaks and drips.
  • Adapt the flow rate on taps
  • Reduce the amount of water used in toilets.

Biodiversity

  • Use our school grounds to introduce children to the natural environment and to biodiversity in a practical way.
  • Offer a safe and potentially exciting facility for outdoor education that can complement classroom-based activities.

Energy

  • As part of the (EU) European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), all state schools will be required to display a certificate which rates their energy use on a scale of A – G by 2009.
  • All Eco-Schools are required to carry out an energy audit as part of their Environmental Review and then set targets for reducing unnecessary energy use through their Action Plan.

Global Perspectives

  • Ensure that pupils consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of the decisions that they make on the local and global community, in the future as well as for the present.

Healthy Living

  • Provide pupils with structure and consistency and opportunities for social engagement.
  • Provide emotional support and create a supportive, safe environment that will give pupils the confidence to learn.
  • Actively promote health through the curriculum and in the way the school is managed both in its culture and ethos.
  • Influence the quality of the meals served within the canteen and provide healthier options for pupils through tuck shops or vending machines.
  • Encourage pupils and staff to be more physically active both in and out of school.
  • Help equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that provide springboards to future long-term health.

Litter

  • Install a recycling bin in every classroom and staff area to promote a whole school approach to recycling.
  • Combine with a campaign to raise awareness in class and at assemblies, also using posters etc.
  • Registered for the big tidy up
  • Continue with litter monitors scheme

School Grounds

  • Provide the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the environment and sustainable development through geography, science, IT and DT and the chance to get directly involved through citizenship studies.
  • Promote outdoor learning- research number of staff that teach outside.
  • The new DT Garden (June 2009)

Transport

  • Improve road safety and reduce the risk of child casualties
  • Improve children’s health and development
  • Reduce traffic congestion and pollution
  • Draw up a school travel plan and promote sustainable travel.
  • Using a school travel plan, encourage whole school and community to think about the environment and lead fitter and healthier lifestyles.
  • Promotion of Walk to School campaigns, using children's long term walking incentive schemes such as the WOW (Walk on Wednesday scheme), and through the promotion of cycle training.

Waste

  • Reduce waste – change manufacturing processes so that less materials are used or change consumer habits so that less wasted material is bought.
  • Reuse – choose goods and products that can be used again.
  • Recycle – make sure that waste is processed and made into another product wherever possible. Composting is also recycling: the nutrients in organic waste are processed and returned to the soil to help more plants to grow.