A lesson to us all: The schools putting the environment first

Recycling, changing to energy-saving lightbulbs and stopping the use of single-use plastic straws are among the dozens of green schemes by schools across Kent and Medway recognised in this year’s Green School Awards.

The sixth annual awards, organised by the KM Charity Team, looked at the efforts made by students, staff and volunteers at schools who have put the environment top of their agenda, despite a year of restrictions and disruption due to the pandemic.

At an awards ceremony at Ashford International Hotel, hosted by Mike Ward, chief executive of the KM Charity Team and kmfm’s Nicola Everett, winners from primary and secondary schools across the area, along with colleges and other school team members were all praised.

Mr Ward said: “The Green School Awards are probably more important today than they have ever been. They encourage schools, children and parents to really get involved, learn and think about how they can do something to help our planet.

“It’s also a great lesson for allofustoknowthatyou don’t really have to do a lot as doing a little can make an enormous difference – especially if we all join in.”

OVERALL WINNERS CLEAN AIR FOR ALL: The Rowans AP Academy, Medway

The Chatham school spent a year focusing on the environment, from lessons on climate change and human impact on the planet to recycling more; using less paper and walking to school, and engaging in lessons about air quality and about the history of smog. Students built kites and solar panel cars to model modes of transport that are less polluting and there was a school-wide focus on environmentalism, including planting 60 trees.

ENERGY CONSERVATION: Sir Roger Manwood’s School, Sandwich

An eco-friendly, green and healthy fundraising campaign to encourage people to walk, cycle or run – virtually – to Glasgow for the COP26 climate change summit - the Ready Steady Glas-go campaign - aimed to raise £16,000 to change all 500 lights in the school over to more energy efficient LEDS. The project is estimated to save around £5,000 a year and around 10 tonnes of carbon being released into the atmosphere.

GREEN CHAMPION: School of Science & Technology, Maidstone

The secondary school’s green campaigners started small - seeing that the school canteen was using single use plastic straws they took the lead on introducing a policy to promote the idea of students bringing in their own reusable straws. They also aim to plant trees in the school grounds and have introduced new bins for recycling specific items, but the biggest impact was getting the school to change its search engine to Ecosia which funds tree planting across the world.

GREEN TRAVEL: West Malling Primary School

Through teachers and parents volunteering, the school provides a walking bus from the nearby supermarket car park every morning and three afternoons a week, which allows a safe environment for the children to walk to school supervised and helps cut the amount of parking near the school.

NATURE CONSERVATION: Broadstairs College

The college has implemented practical initiatives including displays that showcase plastic in our seas, collaborating with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation, and their most ambitious project - installing 21 pairs of swift boxes on one of their buildings for the endangered species, working with the RSPB.

RECYCLING: St Edward’s Primary School, Swale

Despite restrictions and disruptions the Sheerness school has continued to incorporate more aspects of recycling into their school grounds and curriculum. These include three stages of composting within the school garden, boxes on the playground at break times and water butts, and an eco committee which meets monthly which has on-going projects such as recycling old plastic milk bottles as watering cans, making bird feeders from recycled plastic drinks bottles and classes having recycling bins for paper. l

The awards are sponsored by Medway Council; Kent County Council; Streetspace Group; SGS Energy; Ashford International Hotel; Golding Homes; KCS Professional Services; Seeclear Facilities UK, Blessing by Blé and NCS Technology.

Two road crossing patrol awards were handed out at the ceremony - one for Medway and one for Kent. The winners were Jackie Castaneda who serves both Rainham School for Girls and The Howard School and, right, Alison Bentley from Brookfield Junior School, Larkfield

The overall winning schools included, clockwise from above, Sir Roger Manwood’s, Maidstone’s School of Science & Technology plus West Malling Primary