Staff and pupils at leading independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor are celebrating after winning a coveted Green Flag marking them as one of the UK’s top eco-schools.
And they are looking forward to ‘flying the flag’ above their school on special occasions.
Anne Harrison, Year 1 teacher and leader of Belmont Grosvenor School’s eco initiative, said everyone had worked extremely hard over a number of years to attain the top award.
Anne Harrison said: I am thrilled that our school has been awarded the Green Flag in recognition of the work led by, and carried out by, all the pupils who have been, and are, members of our Eco Club.
The support in school, from parents and the community, has been wonderful and we are proud to fly the flag. We are now looking forward to planning next year’s projects.
The Eco-Schools programme is an international award programme that helps schools make sustainability an intergral part of daily life. The scheme’s mission is to make every school in the country sustainable and to ensure that good environmental habits learned in school are followed through at home.
Schools follow a seven-step process which helps them address a variety of environmental themes, ranging from litter and waste to healthy living and biodiversity.
Pupils at Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, had already achieved both the bronze and silver awards.
The Green Flag status is the highest accolade awarded to a school and symbolizes excellence in the field of environmental activity.
Pupils took part in a wide range of environmental activities, including creating and maintaining a wild meadow area, organizing waste week and recycling, organizing Fairtrade stalls and tuck shops and running regular litter patrols.
Members of the school’s Eco Action Team meet half-termly to plan events and take the school forward – and they are delighted with their success. Independent assesors came into school before awarding Belmont Grosvenor the Green Flag status.
James Marston, vice-chair of the school’s Eco committee, said: We are really pleased to have got this Green Flag and can’t wait to put it on the flag pole on special occasions.
Everyone has worked really hard. It’s been good fun, and really interesting too – we have learned so much about environmental issues.
