Eco-friendly schoolchildren from Creigiau Primary have been rewarded for all their green awareness hard work after being given a prestigious Platinum Eco Schools Award.
The Platinum award is the highest accolade under the Eco Schools project, which rewards environmental education and performance and is the equivalent to achieving four green flags under the scheme run by Keep Wales Tidy, which means Creigiau Primary is now a Beacon School.
Welcoming the Award, Cabinet member for Education and Skills, Cllr Julia Magill said:
“It is a pleasure to congratulate Creigiau Primary School for all their hard work in achieving this prestigious Award and shows their sustained commitment to keeping their environment and community eco-aware.
A lot of work is carried out in our schools by dedicated staff, parents and school children to ensure they are environmentally aware from re-cycling rubbish, walking to school clubs to healthy eating initiatives. Creigiau School is a great example of this and the Award is well deserved.”
Commenting on the Award, Headteacher Peter Evans, said:
“I’m very proud of the pupils and staff on achieving this award and on being invited to become a Beacon school. Eco-related matters are now embedded in the school curriculum. This is very evident when one looks at the displays in the school and the wonderful eco-garden that was developed with the help of parents and grandparents.”
The programme is designed to be run by the pupils, with adult support who act as mentors and facilitators. It also highlights the importance of involving the wider community in those actions through participation, campaigns, active communication and action days.
Creigiau Primary Eco-Schools co-ordinators Mrs Hurford, Miss Moore and Mrs Wilkins said:
“We are so proud of the hard work and enthusiasm that the members of the Eco committee have shown in achieving the Platinum Award. Also how they have embraced the Eco messages themselves and got the whole school involved. They have certainly kept us on our toes.”
Pupils study a range of topics across eight areas such as litter, transport, healthy living, energy and water whilst carrying out projects but the co-ordinators and staff ensure it is all linked to the curriculum, helping make environmental awareness and action a full part of the life and ethos of the school.
As part of the Eco-Schools programme the pupils have involved the local community in regular litter picks and through their work on Fair Trade, have won a Fair Aware Award also.
Eco Committee Vice Chair, Sian-Louise Davies, age 10, explained why she got involved:
“We enjoy working in the Eco-garden and we don’t like litter so we get to go out and pick it up and find out where it comes from so when we grow up we can tell adults how to be eco-friendly.
I’m really happy we won the Award. It meant a lot that our school is really eco-friendly and we’re helping to save the World.”
Visit http://www.keepwalestidy.org/eco-schools for further information on the programme.
