Information on Loughborough

Loughborough school to get second green flag

Posted on 31/12/2008

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

11 November 2008

Loughborough school to get second green flag

Photo opportunity

An environmentally-friendly school in Loughborough is receiving its second green flag this week.

Robert Bakewell Primary School will be given the award in a celebration assembly at 9.00am on Friday (14th November).

The prestigious green flag was awarded as part of the Eco Schools programme which the school has been involved with for the past three years. In that time the school has made many improvements to help reduce waste, increase energy efficiency and enhance the garden, including:-

  • Setting up recycling collections for paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and cans
  • Creating a sensory garden
  • Putting a pond in the wildlife area
  • Turning part of the garden into an organic vegetable plot where they have grown sweetcorn, lettuces, onions and potatoes
  • New water butts in the garden to collect rain water
  • New motion sensor lights which activate lights when movement is detected
  • New toilets with low flush cisterns

Ruth Camamile, County Council Cabinet Support Member for the Environment, said: “The project involves more than just behavioural change at school. The children also take home the environmental message which helps to spread the word throughout the community. These changes stay with them for life helping to develop environmentally friendly citizens of the future."

The award has been achieved with help from environmental charity Groundwork, Leicester and Leicestershire, funded by Charnwood Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council who are co-ordinating the programme.

Photo Opportunity:

Photographers and reporters are invited to the school at 9.30am on Friday, 14th November - Robert Bakewell Primary School, Barsby Drive, Loughborough, Leicestershire. LE11 5UJ. Tel. 01509 237811. Ask for Mr Gibson, Eco Co-ordinator at the school reception.

Notes:

There are currently 130 schools in Leicestershire registered as Eco Schools. Of those 130 schools, 10 schools have received their first green flag, 7 their second green flag and 8 their third green flag.

The Eco Schools programme is a Europe-wide project run by Encams (formally the Tidy Britain Group) and designed to encourage whole-school action for the environment. It is a recognised award scheme, rewarding and accrediting schools that have made a commitment to continuously improving their environmental performance.  It is also a learning resource, raising awareness of environmental issues through activities that link to curriculum subjects. Schools must demonstrate that they have made significant progress towards improving their performance before the ‘Green flag’ status is achieved.

The aim of the Eco Schools programme is to make environmental awareness and action an intrinsic part of the life and ethos of the school both for pupils and for staff.

For further information on Eco Schools see www.eco-schools.org.uk

http://www.leics.gov.uk/ecoschools