Cheadle Hulme School is proud to announce CHS Infant & Junior School has been awarded the coveted Green Flag award in recognition of its environmental endeavours. It is now an official ‘Eco School’.
A national award for Schools demonstrating their commitment to looking after the world around them, pupils in the Junior School have spent the past academic year working relentlessly, to keep their School tidy and fulfil the criteria set out by the Eco-Schools Programme.
Beyond litter-picks, the pupils wrote letters to those in a position to make change and met with CHS’s Senior Operations and Catering teams on new green initiatives. They held their own assemblies to promote their work and ideas were constantly exchanged on how to improve the local environment.
Speaking of the Junior School Eco Committee’s work towards the campaign, one Junior said; “We want to ask drivers to switch their car engines off when waiting outside the School gates so we’re asking them to “turn the key, be idle free” – we hope this will make the air cleaner to make it safer for everyone.”
CHS Infant & Junior School Teacher and Eco Committee co-ordinator, Mrs Yvonne Lyng is especially impressed by the pupils’ enthusiasm for the project: “As soon as the Eco Schools Programme was introduced to the pupils, they immediately and whole-heartedly seized the initiative. It saw the pupils working together across their year groups in a pupil-led effort. A committee was formed, an environmental review carried out, and action plan was drawn up. In no time at all the pupils created a purposeful ‘green’ buzz around the School and many were inspired to keep doing their bit for the environment at home as well.”
The endeavour and eco-enthusiasm of the pupils is already having a significant impact across CHS. They have highlighted the importance of reducing the single-use plastics during School events and Sports fixtures like their Sixth Form peers, and have spoken to teachers about reducing the use of the laminator, whilst raising awareness of saving energy by switching off lights and recycling paper.
At lunchtime the pupils formed their own ‘Litter Legends’ group and, alongside their supportive teachers, regularly go out into the community to help pick up litter.
They even created their own Eco Slogan: A green planet is a happy clean planet.
CHS Infant & Junior School Head, Mr Weightman is immensely proud of the pupils and staff. “Our School has worked extremely hard towards achieving the Green Flag recognition. This is an indicator of how environmentally friendly and what a positive contribution CHS is having on our planet. It’s absolutely fantastic news… our pupils are making the world a better place, recycling, reusing, and reducing waste, and I’m very proud the School has been judged to be doing this effectively. But of course the flag is only the beginning, our work is not done and I’m looking forward to seeing the Eco warriors in action as they continue waving their own individual flags and keep reinforcing this important message.”
The Award has tapped into CHS Infant and Juniors’ innate love of nature and their genuine desire to improve and protect their environment; they have truly been empowered to make a difference to their community and continue to work on more environmental initiatives.
Well done everyone, what an amazing achievement and you should all be extremely proud. Keep up the good work!
