Greening your school

Today sees the return of many children to school and the focus (rightly so!) is very much on how to make sure everyone is safe and healthy in this time of coronavirus.  It is difficult at the moment to find time to think about the environment and making sustainable choices, but we mustn't forget to keep our environment safe and healthy too.  Schools are fantastic places to teach children about being eco-conscious and show them how to live greener and more environmentally-responsible lives.  Whether its through school routines, lessons, or activities where you come together as a community, we can all help to keep our planet at the forefront of our minds and help children become global citizens.

Here are some top tips for keeping your school green:

🌿 Put some house plants in your classroom and have different children look after them each week.  They will quickly learn what plants need and it is rewarding to watch them grow over time.  

🌿 Do a class or school litter pick where you clean up the school grounds or surrounding side streets near your school.  Children love seeing that they are making a difference and it might increase their awareness of littering in the future.

🌿 Turning the lights off once in a while (as long as its light enough to see!) is a great way of saving energy and it makes children calmer and more focused when they are working.  Try it during story time or silent or independent reading too.  

🌿 Recycling paper is an essential way of keeping a school green!  Schools use so much paper and ink each year that it is worth investigating a proper recycling system to avoid waste.  Look into buying lower-quality recycled paper for quick lesson activities that aren't going to be kept. 

🌿 Do some outdoor lessons where you interact with nature.  It doesn't have to be topic related, you can simply use an outdoor space as a different teaching environment for an english or maths activity that occurs in an outdoor setting.  The children will be more engaged and their senses more alive too.