Success As More Eco Flags Fly At Caerphilly Borough Schools

Three Caerphilly borough schools wave their newly awarded Eco Flags. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bedwas Infants, Cefn Fforest Primary School and Blackwood Comprehensive School have all achieved a prestigious flag by Eco-Schools. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Eco-Schools programme supports the delivery of environmental education and provides learners with real life experiences to influence their school’s impact on the environment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The programme is designed to be run by the pupils, who drive the changes and monitor the results enabling them to increase their levels of confidence, motivation and awareness, whilst participation in the programme leads to an increase in skills and knowledge. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Bedwas Infants celebrated their tenth year being a part of Eco-Schools by achieving their Platinum Flag. The school was awarded the Eco Schools Bronze Award back in 2006, which led the Eco Committee to create a large wall display to show the changes in the school over the last 10 years and the impact these changes have made. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Vicky Jenkins Delf, Head Teacher said, “I have been the Head Teacher of Bedwas Infants School since January 2016. It has been a delight to see how the Eco Schools ethos is embraced, embedded and enthused over. I am certainly very proud of all the hard work put in by both pupils and staff.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cefn Fforest Primary School achieved their second Green Flag. As part of their assessment, pupils were able to demonstrate a number of initiatives they have been involved in, including battery recycling, the natural buzz pollinator project, the fair achiever schools programme and healthy living programmes with parents. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mrs Sarah Tunbridge Eco Schools Co-ordinator said, “It’s great to see pupils taking responsibility for the world around them and understanding how their actions affect not only themselves, the school and local community but also the wider world”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Blackwood Comprehensive achieved their Platinum Flag last month by presenting their ‘personal journey’ since the Eco-Schools awards were introduced to the school in 2003. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The team led the assessor on a walking tour of the school and its eco-friendly areas such as the allotment, pond and memorial gardens. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A spokesperson from Blackwood Comprehensive said, “We are very proud of the pupils’ achievement in receiving this prestigious award. They are an extremely committed and enthusiastic team, who fully deserve this accolade. The award is the culmination of many years of work – the green flags – involving pupils and staff. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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“Mr Alex Worthing who has supported the group through this current process is absolutely delighted as the award provides recognition of many years of ESDGC work, demonstrating the school’s commitment to this essential part of our curriculum.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Ken James, Cabinet Member for Planning, Sustainable Development and Regeneration said, “Congratulations to all the schools involved who achieved their next flag stage. It really is great to see how many schools don’t just stop at their first flag but strive to achieve Platinum flag status. The hard work that goes into being awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flags is incredible and I commend everyone involved.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​