Garway children advise on becoming sustainable schools

Garway Primary School children have been invited to share their ideas for looking after the environment at a meeting to discuss sustainable schools next week.

The school has just received its second Eco Green Flag for embracing the eco ethos throughout the whole school.  The children are passionate about conservation and have brought in creative ideas and activities to make their school more environmentally friendly.

The children are proud of their homemade ‘water hippos’ which help save water, and have been selling homemade ‘bat and hedgehog’ boxes to help pay for other eco projects around the school.  As well as presenting at assemblies to generate awareness amongst fellow pupils, they have brought in an energy efficiency programme to encourage people to switch off lights.

A recent Ofsted report judged the pupils’ personal development and well-being to be outstanding.  The inspectors praised the School Council and use of eco-committees, commenting that the pupils demonstrated a very good understanding of democratic procedures and showed unusual maturity and consideration for the environment.

When the eco assessors visited the school in January they were incredibly impressed with the children and invited them to present some of their ideas and activities at a sustainable schools event on 13th March at Whitecross High School and Specialist Sports College, Hereford at 12.30pm.  The event aims to discuss ways of making schools more sustainable.

Mrs Lorraine Lloyd-Williams, head teacher, said: “Our children are passionate about conservation - they check to see if lights are left on in unoccupied rooms and guilty culprits get entered on a ‘name and shame’ chart.

“These children are going to grow up to have lots of awareness and passion about looking after resources, not just of the school and village community, but they are looking after the planet too.  Our children have big hearts and we are very proud of them.

Councillor Don Rule, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Presenting at this sustainable schools meeting will be a fantastic experience for Garway’s children. 

“I’m looking forward to learning about some of their interesting and unusual ideas - I’m sure the audience will welcome their enthusiasm and creative approach to looking after the environment.”