Sustainability – Eco-Committee awarded Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction
Over the summer our Eco-Committee have been successful in achieving our Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction! The students worked hard throughout the year, focusing on improving biodiversity on the school site, increasing litter picks and reducing the schools energy use. They ran several projects throughout the year including Sustainability Week, litter pick competitions, Cut Your Carbon house competitions, Gardening Club and volunteering in the local community.
Our application was reviewed by the Eco-Schools Team and these are some highlights from their feedback:
You have a very large Eco-Committee supported by two adults. This clearly demonstrates both students and staff members in your school are committed to environmental education and youth-led eco-actions.
We love the variety of activities contained in your Action Plan; it perfectly demonstrates that there are several different approaches to creating positive change. It’s clear that when deciding on an Action Plan your Eco-Committee carefully considered how they could actively engage their entire school community in their Eco-Schools’ projects, this is a real strength of your application!
The curriculum link examples provided are demonstrative of a whole-school commitment to incorporating important environmental issues into your learning.
Organising a whole-school environmental sustainability week is an example of best practice. It transforms environmental education into a celebratory, communal event that engages the entire school community, teaching collective responsibility in the process
We really like how your Eco-Committee used their school newsletter to involve the broader school community in their environmental initiatives, sharing their expertise and encouraging schoolmates and their families to live more sustainably. You have worked with a very impressive array of different groups and organisations this academic year, we especially enjoyed learning about your work with Merton Garden Streets.
By widely sharing your Eco-Code, your Eco-Committee have ensured that it is valued by their school community. Your chosen Eco-Code is practical and positive, a great reflection of your Eco-Schools work and the ethos your Eco-Committee have created at Rutlish School.
I would like to congratulate all our members of our Eco-Committee on this achievement and all staff who helped make this possible. We are looking forward to recruiting new members to the committee and continuing our projects to make Rutlish a more sustainable community!
Our Eco-Committee meetings will continue to run Tuesdays Week1 in C8 after school.
Ms Auckle, Sustainability Co-Ordinator