Pupils at Warren Road Primary School in Orpington have won a national award for their dedication to environmental and sustainability issues.
Over 20,000 schools are involved with the ‘Eco Schools’ programme, which is run by Keep Britain Tidy. It gives out just ten awards each year - with Warren Road scooping the prize for ‘Global Citizenship’.
Judges were impressed with the eco work that takes place across the school, including the development of a whole-school curriculum which focused on the threats faced by wildlife.
Each class took on the responsibility of sponsoring a different endangered animal, with pupils being encouraged to think about real-world environmental issues. Every pupil also took part in a reading project, centred on ‘Last: The Story of a White Rhino’ by Nicola Davies.
This exciting activity culminated in an Easter Earth Week, where pupils raised money for global environmental charities and learnt more about global citizenship.
Headteacher, James Ellis, says:
“We are delighted to have won this national prize and are so proud of our pupils’ enthusiasm towards sustainability and environmental issues.
“While this work is led by our amazing Key Stage 2 Eco Team, our whole school community is committed to this important, global agenda. Every child, from Reception to Year 6 has taken part in eco-related activities throughout the year and it’s fantastic to see their efforts recognised in this way.
“As a school, we are committed to ensuring ‘Excellence for All’ - which this Global Citizenship award very much demonstrates. We look forward to continuing our eco-journey and building on this success.”
CEO of London South East Academies Trust, Dr Sam Parrett, adds:
“Huge congratulations to everyone at Warren Road Primary School!
“Sustainability is a huge priority for all the schools within our Trust, so we are delighted that the hard work of pupils and teachers has been recognised with this national award.
“Teaching children about global citizenship, eco-issues and the world in which we live is more important than ever, so it’s great to see the pupils themselves leading the way on this agenda.”
As an Eco Schools award winner, Warren Road features in the organisation’s annual Impact Report. Read the report here.
Here are what some of the pupils themselves have to say about the project:
Freya (8):
“Looking after the planet is important because pollution can harm nature”.
Ramiya (10):
“I am a junior travel ambassador, and I help teach my friends about active travel to and from school which is better for the environment’.
Verity (9):
“I liked making bug hotels and planting seeds for bees to pollinate the flowers”.
Georgie (11):
“We should all save water and recycle to help save the planet. When we throw rubbish in the water it can hurt wildlife”.
Alex (11):
“I like working with different people to help the environment. If people know how to help, they can save animals and the planet”.
For more information about Eco-Schools and its awards programme, visit: What is Eco-Schools? - Eco-Schools
For more information about Warren Road Primary School, visit: Welcome to Warren Road Primary School
For more information about London South East Academies Trust, visit: London South East Academies Trust (lseat.org.uk)
