We are delighted to have been awarded the Eco Schools Green Flag in recognition of our Eco work. The Eco-Schools Framework has guided and empowered millions of young people since 1994 to deliver eco-projects that make their school more sustainable, increase environmental learning, and benefit their local community.

At St Bede, we use the Eco Schools framework and connect our activities to three or more of the Ten Eco-Schools Topics (Biodiversity, Energy, Global Citizenship, Healthy Living, Litter, Marine, School Grounds, Transport, Waste, Water). Each year, we review our previous action plan and decide on our new areas with the help of the Eco School review. This helps us identify initiatives already taking place in our school and areas for improvement.

The Eco Reps have regular meetings to discuss action taken and to plan next steps. They report back their activities through the Eco display board, newsletter and assemblies to the whole school. Examples of our activities include the planting of wildflowers, the implementation of a hedgehog home, hedgehog fact-finding trail, wild flowers and trees fact trail, improving our classroom recycling habits, joining the Terracycle pen recycling scheme, playground litter picking, recycling clothes and reducing energy usage in school.

We have taken part in local and national initiatives activities such:

• Climate Unity Art project (we created and installed Eco art at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens)
• Walk to School Week, Walktober
• Clean Air Scooter Challenge
• Road Safety Week
• Your Time to Shine
• The Wildlife Trusts 30 Days Wild
• Hedgehog Awareness Week
• RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch
• Keep Britain Tidy Great Big School Clean
• Switch Off Fortnight,
• Waste Week
• Earth Day.