Case Studies - Whats happening in our schools
Many schools across the county have been involved in organising environmental projects and putting Education for Sustainable Development into practice. Below are a few examples of what has already been done in Lancashire schools and show the kind of project that your school could get involved in.
Wellfield High school – A green flag Eco -school
Wellfield High School has been fully committed to the eco-school process, an environmental management scheme run by Encams, since 1995. It is currently the only secondary School in Lancashire to have achieved the prestigious Green Flag Award. In developing the scheme the first stage was to set up an Eco school committee involving pupils who regularly meet with their peers, the head of year and the Governors. Focus groups were charged with investigating issues such as the use of resources, management of the school grounds, cleaning and site supervision, transport, purchasing and energy uses. Waste and litter were found to be major concerns and money was secured to develop innovative teaching and learning strategies with partner primaries.
Various projects have been undertaken through the Eco scheme which provides step by step help and advice. Cross-curricular studies in Science, Geography, Art and Technology tackled recycling and all waste paper is now collected and shredded for the composter. In response to an energy survey carried out by pupils funding was obtained from CREATE to install draught lobbies and improve sensor controls, and the County Council covered the cost of installing double-glazing. The school grounds have been transformed with the development of a garden, which doubles as a learning resource for the likes of Photography, Mathematics and Science. Much of the landscaping work has been carried out by the students giving an immense sense of pride. Most recently this has involved the construction of picnic tables. Year 9 students are currently developing a school transport plan, while year 8 tackle access to the site. The Governors have also recently updated the Environmental Policy, which now covers the use of energy, transport and the purchasing of resources including materials, furniture and stationary. It also impacts upon outside services such as cleaning and ground maintenance.
Hillside Community Primary School, Skelmesdale - Making use of the playground
Hillside Primary School has made significant improvements to its grounds after embarking on the Lancashire County Council run Making Ground initiative. The school is located in a severely deprived area of Skelmesdale where there are high levels of unemployment and 50% of pupils are eligible for school meals. The environment adjacent to the school is both harsh and unattractive and the extensive grounds to the 1960’s building were considered to be bland and not achieving it’s full potential, consisting of just a large playing field and traditional tarmac playground. It was realised that there would be an educational benefit to the grounds if it was better designed and laid out.
Utilising the guidance and expertise available through the Making Ground initiative, the steps laid out in the school grounds development guide were followed and a Development Association Group was set up consisting of representatives from the school community, staff and pupils to drive forward the process. Various funding options were then identified. The school has so far developed a Foundation Stage play area constructed using Lancashire County Council’s Ground Support Service and has installed basketball hoops and posts on the playground (a grant was secured from Sport England). They have also designed a designated area for the school gardening club with a greenhouse, shed and planting beds as well as an organic vegetable patch (with grant aid from a charitable trust). These developments have provided real benefits to the school and have deepened commitment to developing further improvements. Future projects that funding is currently being sought for include a seating area at the entrance to the school and adventure play equipment. There are also plans for carrying out an environmental arts project.
The Foundation Stage Play Area complete with
climbers, slide, sand pit and seating
St. John’s C of E Primary Schools, Burnley – Healthy Eating and Exercise
St Johns School organised a ‘Healthy Eating and Exercise Week’ through the Lancashire Healthy Schools. All staff and many members of the wider community offered their time and expertise to ensure that every activity during the week promoted a healthy lifestyle for the children. Activities included: a Jump Rope for Heart event (British Heart Foundation sponsored event), a relaxation talk, hand massages, a local police officer talk, a talk about the NHS, a demonstration from a healthy butcher, swimming, cross country running, netball, bouncy castle (sponsored event), circuit training and football coaching (from Burnley FC), tennis coaching, aerobics instruction, rounders, and cricket coaching. All children made healthy sandwiches and went for a full or half-day walk in the Ribble Valley.
There were lots of competitions and awards as lessons were suspended for the week for the events including certificates for taking part in activities and a Good Attitude Award presented by Burnley FC mascot ‘Bumble Bee’. The event was publicised in the local media and offered an opportunity for the school to forge closer links with many different areas of the community. It was a tremendous success as the children thoroughly enjoyed the many activities and gained valuable experience of the positive effects of leading a healthy lifestyle.
Contact the Lancashire Health Schools Programme for more details of what your school could do to become a healthy school. See LHSP entry in main section of the directory.
Morecambe Road School, Morecambe – Supporting wildlife through habitat creation
Morecambe Road Special School has created some wildlife habitats around the school in order to sustain wildlife and vegetation effected by changes in the local area, caused by the construction of the Heysham by-pass, the erection of a McDonalds restaurant and a new housing estate. They have undertaken a program of tree planting, two ponds were constructed, coppice planted, wet land areas developed and lots of native bulbs planted. Pupils volunteered to help staff, governors and parents to work alongside Conservation Volunteers involved in tree planting. Species planted include naturalised daffodils (15,000 have been planted over the years), snowdrops and bluebells and in spring they look wonderful and give pleasure to pupils, parents and neighbours in the wider community. Wooden forestry commission tables and benches have also have been installed in sunny and shady positions and provide excellent areas for both work and relaxation.
Garstang High School, Garstang – School linking in the developing world
Garstang High school have establishes a link with the state Experimental School in Kumasi, Ghana through working with the Lancashire Global Education Centre. This provides a good example of a ESD project which highlighted to the children issues of globalisation, the developing world and fair trade. The link was formed as part of a project involving the school, the local Youth Group and a local Oxfam group. The catalyst for this was the writing of a play around the issues of the transatlantic slave trade and fair trade including current economic slavery.
The play, Hidden Brutality was performed in Ghana and developed in response to research done in Ghana and also with regard to reactions to performances in Ghana. The school now intends to produce a work pack and continue to work on issues of racism and fair trade.
Townhouse Special School - Nelson Bird Study School
The project at Townhouse Special School involved pupils with severe learning difficulties carrying out a survey of different types of birds visiting the school grounds over a period of one term. As part of the project pupils made bird housing and feeder boxes, which were placed around the school grounds and an observation post was set up inside a classroom opposite the bird table. The pupils learnt to use binoculars and matched the birds observed with photographs and pictures. The pupils also looked at different types of food the birds ate and produced their own bird feeders using seeds, nuts and fat. Pupils were encouraged to extend their practical knowledge through books and researching on the Internet. They also produced a photographic record that was shared with the whole school. The pupils and staff were very surprised but delighted to win the ‘Our Place, Our Pendle Award’ for their achievements.
For more details on the project please contact Debbie Morris, head teacher at Town House Special School
Hesketh with Beaconsale All saints C of E primary - Creating a garden with the Green Partnership Awards
School Garden area development at Hesketh with Beaconsale All saints C of E primary
The Hesketh with Beaconsale C of E primary school, West Lancashire secured from the Green Partnership Award (GPA) to develop a garden area within the school grounds. The focus was to provide a quiet area for pupils from the junior age group and also a practical resource for pupils in year 6 in the school gardening club. Putting the pupils ideas together a final design proposal was developed for a courtyard garden that incorporated plants of different colours, scents and textures within pots. A murial formed the backdrop for some of plants, a picnic bench and a number of garden chairs. All the junior pupils were thrilled with the garden and used it through out the summer enjoying the opportunity to have a quiet area in which to sit and read or talk with friends.
Hesketh with Beaconsale All saints C of E primary - Developing an Infant/Foundation Play Area with a grant from the Lancashire Small Sites Reclamation Scheme
The school also secured £12,000 for the development of an infant/ foundation stage play area in the school grounds from the Lancashire Small Sites Reclamation Scheme with match funding from donations, school funds, PTFE fund raising events and the Education and Business partnership. The school considered that improvement of the grounds was essential and it was decided that the Infant/foundation stage play area should be a priority for development. The school identified what would be needed for the area and the n commissioned the design. A proposal was also written into the school improvement plan. Teachers worked with the LEA Early years advisors to determine what play equipment would be most appropriate to use on the play area in order to meet the needs of the foundation and key stage curriculum. LCC grounds officers prepared a draft proposal incorporating ideas from pupils and staff. The design included a playhouse, seating, wooden gallery, safety surfacing and areas for mobile play equipment. Contractors then carried out the work with County Council ground support service managing the project.
Sherwood Primary School – Ground improvement
Pond Creation at Sherwood Primary School
Sherwood primary school was successful in its application to the Lancashire Small Sites Reclamation Scheme (LSSRS) to enable it to restore its grounds. Throughout the LSSRS school projects have been an important component and many individual school projects have been submitted for school grounds.
The school restored a derelict pond in the school area, providing a boardwalk and creating a new marsh habitat and newt population. The project was carried out using full involvement with the pupils and the site will now be used for environmental, conservation and scientific work within the curriculum.