Eco-Schools

At Barnes, we are working hard to become a more sustainable school and take great pride in helping to protect and preserve our world.

We are continuing on our journey to maintain our Green Flag Award Eco-School. The programme is designed to raise environmental awareness amongst young people and in England it is run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. Internationally, the programme is the largest educational programme in the world present in nearly 70 countries with millions of children participating. Our school is now part of this global community working to create environmental change for the benefit of our children and future generations.

The scheme not only empowers pupils and raises environmental awareness, but it also combines learning and action for the improvement of the environmental performance of schools. Schools entering the programme can gain a Bronze, Silver, and, ultimately, a Green Flag award through an assessment process.

The programme guides schools on their sustainable journey, providing a framework to help embed key environmental issues into the heart of school life.  These include: Biodiversity, Litter, Waste Minimisation, Transport, Healthy Living, Energy, Water, School Grounds and Global Citizenship. Each year, our Barnes Primary Eco-Team choose 3 priorities to work on, forming an action plan.

At Barnes Primary, we elect two children from each class every year to form our Eco-Team. The first step for the Eco-team is to complete an environmental audit to decide which environmental issues to focus on as a school. The Eco-Team are then responsible for writing our annual action plan, linked to key priorities to enable us to create a more sustainable school environment. They also help to organise and lead whole-school assemblies and activities for all year groups to be involved in. We believe that every child in the school has a part to play in looking after our school environment and local community.

At Barnes Primary School, sustainability and environmental awareness are embedded across the curriculum, enabling pupils to understand the importance of protecting our planet and to take meaningful action. Through carefully planned learning opportunities, children develop both knowledge and a sense of responsibility as active global citizens.

• Litter Picking
  Pupils across the school take part in regular litter picking activities within the school grounds. These are often organised and led by the Eco-Team, empowering children to take responsibility for their environment. This links closely to learning in geography and science, as pupils explore human impact on the environment and discuss ways to reduce waste and protect local habitats.
• Earth Hour
  Each year, the school participates in Earth Hour, giving children the opportunity to reflect on energy use and climate change. Through assemblies, class discussions and learning activities, pupils explore the importance of reducing energy consumption and consider how small actions can make a difference globally. This supports learning in science and geography, particularly around energy, sustainability and global environmental issues.
• Climate Education
  In Year 5, pupils undertake a dedicated geography unit on climate change. Through this unit, children develop a deeper understanding of the causes and effects of climate change, as well as its impact on different parts of the world. Pupils engage with key concepts such as global warming and sustainability and are encouraged to think critically about solutions and actions they can take as informed, responsible citizens.