Pupils fly high with bird of prey project
RED kites flying over a school have helped pupils win a national environmental award.
Staff and pupils at Fochriw Primary School, Bargoed, are celebrating after being named Regional Champions of the Better Energy School Awards.
Pupils went to an awards ceremony at London Zoo where they were presented with a trophy and a cheque for £1,000 for their school by TV presenter Naomi Wilkinson, wildlife cameraman and presenter Adrian Cale and Wolfblood actress Leona Vaughan.
Their project, “Getting Totally Clued Up on the Red Kite”, not only took top spot in the “Totally Clued Up” category across Wales and western England, but was also named best project in all categories from the entire region.
Pupils were inspired to find out more about the red kites they often see flying over the school. This led to a cross-curricular investigation of the birds of prey that are a part of their daily landscape.
The Better Energy School Awards is a nationwide competition for five- to 11-year-olds run by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE). The competition, which aims to generate interest in the environment and raise awareness of the need for sustainable energy sources, received entries from more than 23,500 schoolchildren in 2016-17.
YPTE director Peter Littlewood said: “This was one of those projects where a simple idea – finding out about red kites – branched off in lots of new directions.
“We loved the fact that so much of the children’s learning was actually directed by their own thirst for knowledge and we could really see how fascinated they had become with red kites – a species that was almost wiped out and considered a pest for centuries.”
Head teacher Sharon Pascoe said: “We feel honoured that our red kite project has been recognised for such a prestigious award.
“Undertaking the project to support the red kites and raise awareness of their importance clearly demonstrates our commitment to sustainability.
“The children have led the project from the outset and taken part in a breadth of learning experiences.
“They have shown such enthusiasm to what is now ‘their bird’ at Fochriw.
“The children are very excited to represent their school and it just goes to show how so much can be learned with the nature we have right on our doorstep.”
Coun Philippa Marsden, Caerphilly’s cabinet member for education and achievement said: “It is always great to hear about schools undertaking innovative and engaging projects, making the most of the nature and wildlife within their local community.”