Edenhurst Prep School has been shortlisted for a prestigious award to recognise its commitment to environmental education.
The School has been shortlisted for the Green School Award in the ISA Awards 2019.
The ISA Awards is an annual event that celebrates success in the organisation’s 528 member schools and recognises the breadth of quality and provision in independent education across the country. The Green School Award is new for 2019 and is designed to recognise schools that have engaged with environmental education within the curriculum, or have demonstrated their green credentials in reducing their carbon footprint, or working in the community or further afield to improve habitats and encourage biodiversity.
Michael Hibbert, Headteacher at Edenhurst Prep School, said: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted for this award. Being a green school is at the heart of everything Edenhurst does. This nomination is testament to our hard-working and dedicated staff and pupils, and their families who support us.”
The School was awarded Eco-Schools Green Flag status in 2018, the highest accolade a school can achieve. It has also won numerous local awards including a Silver Gilt award in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Britain in Bloom Awards for three years running and Best Eco-School 2017.
Mr Hibbert added: “I firmly believe in developing our children into Global Citizens. We are proudly a Green School and the eco agenda is now very much part of the culture of our school for our pupils and staff.”
Eco-activities and initiatives at Edenhurst include the following:
Eco-Committee – made up of children from all years in school who meet regularly. Eco Awards Scheme – which encourages children to engage in eco-activities at home, record them and collect points towards a Bronze, Silver and Gold award. The next level of the scheme, platinum earns allows children the right to attend a special Eco-themed trip at the end of every year.
School Allotments – these are tended by the children and are visited on a weekly basis using child-sized tools supplied by the School’s PTA.
School Greenhouse – there are two water butts collecting rain to supply the greenhouse. The children have also created a vertical herb garden which is regularly harvested by catering staff.
Outdoor Classroom – made from recycled wood-chippings and old tyres – the Outdoor Classroom includes a bug palace, bird feeders and bird boxes.
Gardening Club – one of the School’s most popular extracurricular activities and children from Reception to year 6 attend.
Forest Schools – this is entrenched in the curriculum with an afternoon every week dedicated to it and skillfully run by Mrs Heyhoe, who is Forest schools trained and the School’s Eco-lead. The children all have wellies and waterproofs at school, which allows them to be outdoors in all weather.
Camp Edenhurst – In May every year all the children from Year 3 – 6 camp on the school fields and participate in a two-day program of outdoor learning team events.
Outdoor Residential Visits – Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 have an outdoor-themed residential visit, where they build dens, navigate, pond dip, do invertebrate surveys and so much more.
Recycling – The School recycles as much as it possibly can and has banned straws and plastic milk containers, replacing them with permanent cups to reduce the use of single-use plastics.
The ISA award winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony in November.
For more information about how the school embeds environmental education watch the short video here.
