POCKLINGTON SCHOOL ECO COMMITTEE
INNOVATIVE STUDENT-LED ECO COMMITTEE ATTAINS BRONZE AWARD
Pocklington School ’ s Eco Committee are delighted to have received the Eco- Schools Bronze Award for their work to help make the school and town more sustainable .
Art teachers Nikki Robertson and Olivia Morris , who are also the appointed Environmental Champions for the school , launched the school Eco Committee in September 2019 . The student-led group initially formed with First and Second Year students but has now attracted growing numbers from Middle School and Sixth Form .
The Eco Committee follow the Eco Schools programme , which provides a seven-step framework to help young people engage with environmental issues that are important to them and their local community . As they progress through the seven-step process , their work is accredited at various points with a Bronze , Silver , and Gold Award , with the ultimate aim of receiving the Eco Schools Green Flag and badge .
The Committee have been working hard . They started by completing an environmental review of Pocklington School and local area to consider what is done well and what could be improved on and to provide inspiration for future campaigns . From this , the group devised an action plan focusing on three main areas : litter , biodiversity , and marine life . Their aims were to form a litter picking team , to ensure correct use of recycling bins , to create wildlife friendly areas around school , and to reduce the reliance on single-use plastic . They have ambitions to do a whole school beach clean in the future , too .
REVIEW 2020-21
In December 2019 , just four months after inception , the Eco Committee launched the first termly issue of
GoGreen , a student-produced magazine covering current environmental issues which provides students with a platform to have their say . The magazine is only available digitally via its website https :// www . gogreenmag . co . uk /, with no hard copies printed .
The Eco Committee have been able to implement many new initiatives . They have worked with Woodland Trust and Greener Pocklington , planting trees on a nearby school site to encourage wildlife , as well as introducing more bird , owl , and hedgehog boxes across the school , which were kindly donated by a current parent after a Sixth Form assembly on nature recovery .
Litter picking continues across the Pocklington School Foundation . The Eco Committee awarded the first GoGreen Award for Excellence to children in Pre-Prep for reducing the amount of litter on the school grounds , being so caring towards wildlife , and bringing awareness to others . The Environmental Champions commented : “ Litter picking is something anyone can help with , even if they are not
30 THE POCKLINGTONIAN