Home | Sustainability | Eco-Council

Eco-Council

We have an active Eco-council which is led by a sustainability expert from The Happy Ocean Company. Embracing the Eco-Schools programme, we use their seven-step framework to answer the all important questions of, ‘Where do we begin in protecting our planet?’. We work with the Eco-council to answer this question whilst empowering the children to make a difference in our school, the local community and beyond.

Since 1994, millions of young people around the world have worked through the Eco-Schools Seven Steps before being recognised for their efforts with a prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag. As of 2023, we are actively working towards this accreditation which will be fully pioneered directly by the children and their efforts.

All activities focused on by our Eco-council focus on the Ten Eco-Schools Topics. These topics break large, global issues like climate change into more manageable and directed themes that prompt the children to consider environmental changes that they can make in their school and everyday lives.

Click below to find out more about Eco-Schools.

Eco Club children present in front of Broomfield staff

During our weekly staff meeting, the Eco Club delivered a presentation, highlighting the sustainability initiatives they’ve been working on this term. The pupils reminded their teachers to turn off lights, reduce single-use plastic, minimise food wastage, and ensure the recycling of all paper in school.

Scooter Training

Year 2 thoroughly enjoyed scooter training as they learnt how to safely ride their scooter on the streets and what to look out for. They learnt how to use their emergency stop, brakes on their scooter, controlling their balance on their scooter by weaving in and out of the cones.

Insect Homes

Over the last two terms Eco Club have looked at the school grounds wildlife areas and came up with ideas to create more habitats. We built and sited insect homes and are looking at building some more in the spring as well as requesting some bird feeders. As part of the review we also looked at the different plants we currently have. This is exciting as there are plans a foot to create more green areas in the near future.

Forest School

Forest School Exploring, learning, and having a bug-tastic time at Forest School! Our little PK and K adventurers discovered a world of tiny wonders in Syon Park. After an exciting bug hunt, it was time to gather round the fire for a snack and some popcorn. We had a fantastic time together!

Eco club took part in the RSPB Schools Birdwatch 2024

Our Eco Club members spent a lunchtime counting birds for this national campaign. The children were delighted to see our three local residential herons, several crows as well as parakeets. The campaign is important for the RSPB to understand numbers and locations of our native and non native bird species. We encourage all families to take part at home as well.

Litter Picking

As part of the Great British cleanup, the Eco Club, along with Mrs. Cornelius and Mr. Anstey, took to the local streets to collect litter. We found all sorts of items, especially a few coffee cup lids. The pupils found the crushed biro pen particularly interesting, and we then discussed how stationary items begin and end their life cycles.

COP28 Live in Assembly

We were joined live via video link by Mr Gardner all the way from COP28 in Dubai. Mr Anstey asked some questions that the children had prepared in advance. The questions were: Why are you at COP28? Who have you met so far and who has impressed you? How does COP28 plan to address the challenges of climate change differently from previous conferences? What role can Broomfield play in contributing to the success of COP28's goals? The children loved listening to the answers and left assembly inspired to make the right choices to help make a difference.

Broomfield House Pupil Eco Code

The Eco Club recently ran a competition open to the whole school community to all create our very own eco code for Broomfield House. There were some excellent entries and it was a difficult decision so the following have all been deemed as winners. Well done to everyone that entered and congratulations to Frankie, Sienna and Camilla G.

Eco club write to Sir David Attenborough

Following a discussion on global citizenship and potential actions the Eco Club could take to enhance their local environment, William suggested writing a letter. Ayran wanted to address specific issues of litter near her residence, so we collectively decided to write letters to Sir David Attenborough, seeking his assistance and possibly inviting him to visit our school.

Eco club interview Dukes Sustainability Director

We were delighted that Diane Booth was able to join us for one of the club sessions. The committee were able to ask a variety of questions including; · How we move towards more reusable energy? · How can we stop people cutting down trees? · How can we stop people littering? Diane was impressed with the level of knowledge from the Eco Club and in particular the basic understanding of the UN sustainable development goals.

Travel Survey

In September, during Eco Club, the committee conducted a playground survey to understand how staff and fellow classmates were travelling to and from school. We were delighted with the results as most were either walking or taking public transport.

Refuse, Recycle, Repair, Reuse and Re-purpose

Eco Club have been busy reviewing habitat creation opportunities around the school and generating awareness of the issue of single use plastic in our oceans by making a turtle out of plastic caps. We have also completed our first round of environmental audits on biodiversity, marine, the school grounds, litter, water and waste and are in the process of creating action plans of the school. Central to our discussions have been the 5 R’s • Refuse, Recycle, Repair, Reuse and Re-purpose This week we have been busy building insect homes which we have cited in our pond area and are looking forward to attracting visitors over the summer holidays. For updates we now have our own school noticeboard. Top Eco tips of ideas from Eco Club: • Support bees and insects by planting wildflower areas • Make your own insect home, bird table or bird feeder • Take part in the www.planetearthgames.org • Plant your own lettuce and tomatoes in pots • Complete a plastic audit of your house [list everything you use that is plastic and see what you can reuse or find alternatives for when its single use] • School Eco code competition

Eco Club cleaning up

Giving up their break time, the Eco Club team went out to test the new "Broomfield Litterbugs" concept. This involves patrolling the streets around the school and - safely and using special protective litter-picking equipment - collecting all the litter the could find. It was an eye-opener to collect - in 20 minutes - over 120 items ranging from scraps of paper to plastic bottles, cans and food wrappers, and weighing several kilos in total! Members of the public spoke up enthusiastically, encouraging us in this important work. We plan to do a weekly collection, with a small group, to help keep the neighbourhood clean while educating the school in litter awareness.