Avanti Park School – awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag
Ms Armstrong, Mrs Clarke, pupils, and staff at Avanti Park School in Frome are celebrating their new Eco-Schools Green Flag status – and rightly so! The Green Schools Team who awarded Avanti Park School its new status were clearly bowled over by their tremendous effort, the feedback provided was thorough, comprehensive, and showed that every aspect of the award was rightfully earnt!
The democratic approach when appointing the Eco-Committee members was commented on, children were elected by peers after volunteering, through to the ways in which the children work and have fun in a variety of ways whilst feeling empowered.
Robust and clear Action Plans, Environmental Reviews and ‘CHANGE’ mnemonic Eco-codes demonstrated how Ms Armstrong and Mrs Clarke cleverly and creatively wove ideas into the curriculum.
What did this mean for the children? A great effort was made to connect Biodiversity, School Grounds and Waste Projects in a thought provoking and inspiring way. Initiatives such as Forest School sessions for all children to get involved in, different eco projects and space in the curriculum for the children to run the projects as a larger group.
Some of the children made simple bird feeders using cereal, string and pipe cleaners which were hung from the trees within the Early Years area. Bird watching activities at playtimes and lunchtimes – lovely memories were made amongst the children whilst approaching topics in fresh and relevant way. Bug hotels have been popping up on the school grounds making great habitats for little minibeasts! Bake sales have also taken place to raise funds for plants in and outside the school.
Connecting internally as well externally is clearly just as important, the school have links Frome Town Council and working on a sustainable travel plans as well as working with their local church enhancing church borders.
If you happen to go to visit Avanti Park, make sure you pop along to the old Chantry building you’ll see their Eco-Board which is updated to reflect the Eco-committee’s actions taken, newsletters, articles and Eco-Schools information about stalls at one of their School Fairs.
Clearly Avanti Park School deserve this new status; to quote the Green Schools Team, “all these efforts show how embedded the values of the Eco-Schools project are within your school, well done everyone!”
