Buildings & Grounds

Wittersham Primary School, Kent, developed a 'trim trail' for their school grounds. The idea of the trail was to offer all young people in the school an opportunity for play at lunch and break times. However, all members of the school community were part of the design of the trail. This lead young people to consider the environmental impact that they were having in an area that is protected against large developments. They had to consult with other villages as to what would be acceptable and how it could fit into their environment. The design group also promoted ecological awareness throughout the school in discussing what materials they could use to minimise the impact that the structure would have on the school grounds. Although the final outcome was a fun one, which all pupils at the school can now enjoy. The planning and design process were instrumental in raising awareness and understanding at the school of the importance of working within your environment and the many ways that they could lessen their ecological footprint.

Dallington Primary School, East Sussex, wanted to develop their school grounds into an interesting, exciting and practical space for pupils and their families to learn about the environment and "how we can make efforts to care for our world".

The range of activities covered all members of the school community, from raising chicks in the reception class to creating a vegetable garden (complete with compost bin) which older students could tend. The project covers a redevelopment of the whole school ground to encourage pupils and their families to take a more active interest in their environment. Responsibility for looking after the vegetable patch and animals lays with all classes and their enthusiasm has now extended to a full environmental audit in the school. They now have mini-projects under the topics of Environment, Energy, Recycling, Water, Composting and even Road Safety. These topics all work together to encourage the pupils to consider themselves as part of their community and environment.
http://www.dallington.e-sussex.sch.uk/useful_links.htm