Information Bulletin
Shetland Schools Achieve Eco School Awards
Two more Shetland schools have proven their environmental excellence by winning Eco School awards. Sound Primary School has joined the ranks of only nine other Shetland schools by successfully achieving its second Eco School Flag whilst Urafirth Primary – after a long wait - has gained its first Eco Flag.
The Eco School award covers the whole school and reflects excellent work both inside the school building and in the school grounds in relation to the environment. Community engagement is also important with the school being seen as a centre of knowledge and excellence within its community.
The current awards were based on the work carried out on litter control, health promotion, transport, biodiversity and school grounds. Both schools had worked very hard and produced excellent display material to brighten their respective school grounds. Other aspects of the schools work included initiatives to encourage a healthy lifestyle in the pupils through encouragement of active play, healthy eating and mutual emotional support.
Both schools were particularly impressive in their work with and support from their communities with the work of maintaining the school gardens being taken on by local adults during the summer break and gifts of plants for the school’s grounds being a regular happening.
“We were particularly impressed by the bright, tidy aspect of both schools, both inside and out, and by the knowledge of the pupils at all levels about what environmental work had been carried out and why. The school notice boards and displays deserved special mention, as did the enthusiasm of the pupils. The use of the school grounds to grow vegetables, which were then eaten as part of a healthy diet was very impressive and is a skill that can be taken into their homes and adult lives. In both schools the sheer enthusiasm and real knowledge at a practical level of the pupils was a credit to the school”. (Mary Lisk, Lead Assessor (Shetland) on behalf of Keep Scotland Beautiful).
The Eco School Programme is an international initiative operated in fifty countries and throughout Europe and is organised in Scotland through Keep Scotland Beautiful. It is designed to encourage whole school action for the environment. It is an environmental management tool, a learning resource and an internationally recognised award scheme. It fits with a range of curricular areas such as environmental studies, personal and social education and citizenship, as well as other initiatives such as Enterprise and Health Promoting Schools. Scotland is the leading country in Europe in the programme with Shetland as a Scottish leader in achieving awards with 20 of our schools (over half) now holding some level of award.
“This is an excellent achievement and supports the Council and Community’s objectives to maintain and enhance our environment. I congratulate all involved in the Eco schools programme on their outstanding work to achieve this level of success, which is vitally important in shaping the Shetland we all want to see in the future” (Councillor Jim Henry, Environment Spokesperson).
For further details of the programme or details of the schools involved please contact Mary Lisk, on (01595) 744818.
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