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Eco-Schools

Green Flag of Eco-Schools.

Are you interested in improving your school environment, reducing your bills and winning a prestigious award? Become an Eco-School and get the Green Flag. By taking part in this programme, you can reduce waste, energy use and water consumption in your schools. You can also tackle litter, enhance biodiversity, improve school grounds, promote healthy living and travel green among many other options.

What is Eco-Schools?

Eco-Schools is an internationally recognised student-led whole school environmental improvement programme that links to many curriculum subjects, including citizenship, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and Education for Sustainable Development. Follow the link for more information on Eco-Schools. 

It is an Award scheme (at Bronze, Silver and Green Flag level) that gets everyone in the school community involved in making the school environment better and raises the profile of the school.

Eco-Schools is holistic. It works by involving the whole school (pupils, teachers, non-teaching staff and governors) together with members of the local community (parents, the local authority, the media and local organisations/businesses).

The Eco-Schools programme is an ideal platform for developing the skills of students as it:

  • complements the Every Child Matters agenda and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Sustainable Schools Framework
  • links with the ongoing initiatives within the Council of involving students in developing School Travel Plans, becoming Healthy Schools, Energy Conservation and others
  • involves working in partnership with local voluntary organisations such as GLOBE, Garden Organic, Forest Schools, Groundwork, Sustainable Learning, TIDE and others on issues of waste, improving school grounds, enhancing biodiversity, climate change and sustainability.

Themes covered by Eco-Schools in Coventry include:

  • Litter
  • Waste
  • Water
  • Energy
  • Biodiversity
  • School Grounds
  • Travel
  • Healthy living
  • Global Perspective
  • Climate Change

Our support for primary schools in Coventry

  • This year (March 2008 - December 2008) we have been successful in getting a sponsorship from Serco which helps us to give Free assembly sessions, training to teachers, educational visits, materials like water butts, compost bins, grants and many others to schools. More information on the Serco sponsorship can be found here.
  • Provide guidance and support to primary schools in Coventry (up to Key Stage 2)
  • Provide a database of local contacts, resources and activity providers working on the themes of Eco-Schools
  • Guide schools through the Steps  to achieving Eco-Schools status
  • Assess schools to help them gain the Green Flag award
  • Arrange Eco-Schools meetings every term. (Follow the link to find out more about our recently conducted Eco-Schools Resource Day.)
  • Provide mentoring services through e-mails, phone calls, website and newsletter
  • Celebrate our success and achievements together!

The flyer on 'Become an Eco-School'  (pdf) is available for download here.

Current Eco-Schools in Coventry

Sacred Heart Catholic primary school has become the first school in the city to win the Permanent Green Flag. They were awarded the flag on 17 January 2008 because of their continuous commitment to the environment and sustainable development.

There are presently 67 schools registered as Eco-Schools in Coventry of which 54 are primary schools. (Valid as on 5 June 2008)

A  list of Eco-Schools (pdf) in Coventry and a map (pdf) of Eco-Schools (primary schools) at various award stages can be downloaded here. Follow the link to see our progess so far in Coventry.

We would like to congratulate all those schools who have got themselves registered to the Eco-Schools programme and have achieved various awards because of their ongoing effort and initiatives. We wish success and good luck to all schools in achieving their Green Flags.

  • Bronze Award: 22 primary and 9 other schools
  • Silver Award: 11 primary and 4 other schools
  • 1st Green Flag Award: 3 primary schools
  • 2nd Green Flag Award: 2 primary schools
  • 3rd Green Flag Award: 2 primary schools
  • Permanent Green Flag: 1 primary school

You can help!

To help more and more schools become Eco-Schools and to help them gain the Green Flag award, we are looking for interested and enthusiastic volunteers. You can help by spreading the message of Eco-Schools, helping schools in registering for the programme, carrying out activities within schools on the various themes and much more.

Contact details 

Meghna Das
Education for Sustainable Development Officer
Tel: 0247683 1805
e-mail: meghna.das@coventry.gov.uk

Downloadable documents

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