Mountain Lane School ~ Eco Committee Presentation

How we were Elected We set a whole school homework task for pupils to write a speech or short presentation if they wanted to be on the Eco Committee. Children were given the opportunity to present in front of their class and then their class members voted for their favourite presentation. Once on the committee, we elected the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Minutes Secretary and Treasurer during our first few meetings in October.

How often do we meet? We meet most weeks on a Friday during Assembly from about 9.05 to 9.30 a.m. Sometimes we meet at lunchtime if we have things to complete in a short amount of time.

How do we come up with our actions? We completed the Environmental Review in pairs by asking our class and members of staff such as the cook, the caretaker, teachers and the secretaries. From the questionnaire we decide what actions to work on. Sometimes we work on actions which are important to us or the local community.

Current Targets Dog Waste What we have done so far: We talked to our local Councillor and Chair of Governors (Mr Peers). He talked to us about an app which allows you to report dog fouling in the local area. This is called Flintshire Doggy Doo App. We also researched the harmful effect of dog waste. Our next task is to use the app to scan and report dog waste around school. Then we need to work with the Town Council and children in school to design posters to put around Buckley.

Local Community We involve the local community by sending e-mails to parents. We also have a page on our website which parents can view. Our Governors are kept informed through Governors meetings.

How do we keep the School Informed of our work? We keep the school informed through assemblies, feeding back to our class and through our website page.

Eco Code The current code is from 2015 to 2017 so it needs to be replaced in September. To write a new Eco Code we ask all pupils to have a go or write down some ideas for homework. We then ask staff to choose the best 3 from their class. We then look at the entries from each class and use them to write the new code.

8 Eco Schools Areas Litter – Our grounds are generally waste free and pupils are encouraged to place litter in the appropriate bin. Waste Minimisation – We try to minimise waste where possible e.g. by saving energy, using both sides of our paper, turning taps off etc. Energy – We try to save energy where possible by closing windows when the heating is on and turning computers off when not in use. We have held Earth Hours and made posters to remind pupils and staff about the importance of this. Water – We try to save water where possible by turning taps off and not filling water bottles up to the top, especially during the afternoons. Transport – We have held ‘Walk to School Weeks’ in school, encourage car sharing and have also carried out surveys on car emissions (engines idling) outside school. School Grounds – We have developed our school grounds over recent years to include areas which encourage bees and butterflies. We also created mini-beast hotels and log piles in the woodland area. Global Citizenship – We support Water Aid via our water fountains and each year group celebrates ‘Our World Week’ on a yearly basis. Healthy Living – Pupils are encouraged to eat healthily. In Foundation Phase fruit is provided at break time and in Key Stage Two pupils can buy fruit bags at break time. A salad bar is available in the hall from Monday to Thursday.

Thank you for listening Do you have any questions?