Nunnery Wood High School - Pupils celebrate winning their second eco-award (From Worcester News)

Nunnery Wood High School - Pupils celebrate winning their second eco-award

10:43am Tuesday 10th February 2009 in News By Richard Vernalls, @rvernallsWN #worcsnews

KEEN, green schoolchildren have been awarded their second eco-award after helping lead the way locally on environmental issues.

Pupils at Nunnery Wood High School have been celebrating receiving their second international Green Flag Award after getting hands-on with the battle to save the planet.

The whole school has been involved in running an ecocommittee which filters ideas from students and discusses how green proposals can be put into practice.

Nunnery Wood, Worcester, also hosted one of Worcestershire’s eco-schools conferences in July last year, sharing ideas with other schools and colleges. Jill Dillon, deputy headteacher, said: “The best thing is how passionate the pupils are about this.

“It’s not just about picking up litter, it’s about a way of life. They are passing that down to their parents outside of school.

“Pupils these days are far more knowledgeable about the issues than they were 15 years ago.”

The high school was the first in the county to receive the flag in 2006, granted by charity National Environmental Campaigns, and renewed the accolade by proving pupils, teachers and governors are still working hard for a greener future.

All school faculties have been involved, with craft, design and technology pupils currently working on designs for outdoor classrooms. Last year they produced a reusable bag for sale in school.

The school’s Duke of Edinburgh award scheme students are currently managing the site’s recycling and also have ladybird and hedgehog boxes.

The eco-committee also helped start a school-wide project to get pupils looking at how Nunnery Wood could become more sustainable, resulting in renewed drives to switch off unused lights, computer screens, save water and pick up litter.

Pupils are currently pressing for locker space to be prioritised to youngsters who cycle to school, rewarding those who get to lessons sustainably.

Mrs Dillon said: “Eco-representatives are elected from each form and serve on the eco-committee with teachers and governors.

“The students are very driven about it and often remind us to turn off unused terminals and switch off lights when they leave the room.”

The latest projects built on the work of the last three years with the school working towards its nine environmental priorities of water, biodiversity, energy, global perspectives, healthy living, litter, school grounds, transport and waste.

Global links are also strong with youngsters running a fashion show last year and donning Fair Trade jewellery made by former sex industry workers in Thailand.

Pupils also helped distribute 500 save-a-flush toilet cistern bags in a project linked to a school for the hearing impaired in southern India.