A Young Force for Good

The children at Petworth Primary School have been the driving force behind the school’s eco achievements.

Last year the school set the children a challenge to ‘change the world around them.’ Their response has stunned their teachers:

‘Our children have been inspirational in developing our curriculum, especially with their enthusiasm in wanting to develop and protect the environment around them,’ says Deputy Head, Mrs Sandon-Webb.

The children began by campaigning for solar panels and more water butts at the school – both of which have now been installed.

They also initiated numerous ideas for cutting waste, reducing landfill and recycling. These included building a recycled bottle greenhouse, collecting plastic to make eco bricks and holding a five year recycle market, where the children sold products they had made from items destined for landfill. The money raised was donated to Water Aid.

The children have created their own litter picking rota and installed compost bins. They have built bird boxes and bug hotels for the school grounds and created a pond to attract the wildlife.

The school has its own Forest School which aims to promote a knowledge and understanding of the local natural environment, which may go some way to explaining the children’s great enthusiasm for their eco challenge.

‘This has been many projects coming together to make a huge difference to the school environment,’ says Mrs Sandon-Webb. ‘Almost all of the projects have been instigated by the children as they have been very keen to be involved and support each other’s ideas.’

The children received an Eco Schools Green Flag Award in March.