Top Award For Stepaside School

At a special assembly last week, Stepaside School was presented with an Acorn Sustainable Schools Award – the highest level of the scheme. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The award was presented by Councillor Tony Brinsden, Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, to pupils sitting on the Forest school and Eco committee. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Making the presentation, he said it was great to see pupils taking part in Sustainable Schools work. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The award represents the continued development of environmental and global learning in the school. Pupils take their learning out of their classroom each week to local woodland. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

This provides opportunity to learn about nature and provides inspiration for their studies in their other subjects including science and art. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The school worked with the County Council to get a ‘Safer Routes to School’ grant to fund road safety improvements around Kilgetty while organising a number initiatives to encourage the pupils to cycle, scoot or walk to school. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Parents were also encouraged to take part in an after school ride taking advantage of the cycle path from Kilgetty to Wiseman’s Bridge to have a Beach barbecue. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The school has also reviewed how its waste is managed and encouraged staff and pupils to recycle more. The changes made are not only good for the environment but have saved the school a significant sum in waste collection fees in the past year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Caption
Councillor Brinsden is pictured with Stepaside pupils and the Acorn Sustainable Schools Award. With them is school secretary, Theresa Williams, and Sustainable Schools officer, Tim Brew. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​