Information on Loughborough

Badgerbrook Primary School gets its fourth Green Flag

Posted on 23/06/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

23 June 2009

Badgerbrook Primary School gets its fourth Green Flag

***Photo opportunity***

Badgerbrook Primary School in Whetstone has become the second school in Leicestershire to get its fourth Green Flag in the Eco Schools programme.

Badgerbrook was one of the first schools in the county to join Eco Schools in 2001 and its fourth flag is a testimony of all the hard work it has put in over the past eight years.

The school has become greener by recycling all its paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and ink jet cartridges. It also has a weekly rota for litter picking, encourages more children to cycle and walk to school and has improved the school grounds to nurture wildlife.

Over the past two years the school has:

  • Introduced recycling bins in every classroom for paper, cardboard and plastic bottles
  • Installed two compost bins and a green cone in the garden for composting fruit waste to use on plants
  • Developed a vegetable garden and encouraged all classes to join in planting vegetables and looking after it
  • Taken part in the countywide Big Switch Off campaign. It now has energy monitors who switch off lights and computers if they are left on
  • Taken part in the RSPB Bird Watch and made bird cakes and feeders in January

Eco co-ordinator at Badgerbrook Primary School Debbie Little said: “The Eco-Schools programme has been a great experience for our school.

"Throughout the last eight years the children have learnt a great deal about looking after our local and wider environment.

"The children in the Environment Club are always very enthusiastic and work hard on various projects. We are all really proud to have achieved our fourth green flag."

Cllr Ernie White, Cabinet Lead Member for Better Places at Leicestershire County Council, said: "I am delighted the pupils at Badgerbrook Primary have been recognised for all their hard work and have helped their school become the second in Leicestershire to gain its fourth Green Flag.

"Eco Schools is important as children take home the environmental message, helping to spread the word throughout the community.

"Hopefully this message will stay with them for life, helping to develop environmentally friendly citizens of the future."

Photo opportunity:

Badgerbrook Primary School will be presented with its Fourth Green Flag at a special assembly

Date: Monday, 29th June 2009

Time: 9.10am

Contact: Debbie Little, Eco Co-ordinator Tel. 0116 275 2353

Location: Badgerbrook Primary School, Badger Drive, Whetstone, Leicestershire. LE8 6ZW

Notes to Editors

There are currently 157 schools in Leicestershire registered as Eco Schools. Of those 157 schools, 19 have received their first Green Flag, seven their second Green Flag, 11 their third Green Flag and two their fourth Green Flag.

www.leics.gov.uk/eco_schools

The Eco Schools programme is a Europe-wide project run by the Tidy Britain Group and is 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 improve 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