School celebrates green success (From Bucks Free Press)

Holmer Green school celebrates green success

8:20am Sunday 7th October 2012 in News By Rebecca Cain

PUPILS have switched off lights to switch on to becoming a green school.

Holmer Green First School was given the coveted Green Flag, which is the highest accolade in the national Eco-Schools award programme.

It is one of only a handful of primary schools in the area who have achieved this.

Eco-schools leader and teacher Melissa Ivey said: "Since starting the Eco-schools programme, we have worked hard to reduce waste and have seen the amount of electricity and paper used by the school fall year on year. The children are determined not to keep the lights on unnecessarily and are careful to recycle everything they can.

"They are also much more aware of litter and we have regular litter-picking parties to help keep the school and the surrounding area tidy."

The school was commended on its successful Go For Gold walk-to-school scheme which was created and pioneered by the school and is supported by the overwhelming majority of the pupils and parents.

It was also praised for the quality of its nature reserve which has been significantly improved over recent years and is now used more frequently by the children learning about science and nature as part of the curriculum.

Headteacher Sandy McClelland said: "This has been a long journey for the school and one that the teachers, governors, parents and pupils have really supported.

"Our Eco leaders Melissa Ivey and Stephanie Young drew up some challenging targets that we have all worked together to achieve and we are now sharing our good eco-practice with other schools and pre-schools in the area."

A presentation is being made October 24 by Joey Coombs, sustainability officer at Bucks County Council and Green Flag assessor, and Marion Clayton, chairman of the council. For more information go to www.holmergreenfirst.bucks.sch.uk or for more Eco-schools information go to www.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools/.