High Wych CE Primary School

Eco Council

Modeshift Stars Silver	Eco-Schools Silver	RSPB Gold	Woodland Trust Platinum

Sept 2022 - July 2023

Climate Justice

The children created artwork to support Climate Justice and displayed them in St James' Church to share with the community.

Festival Of Light

Eco Council made lanterns for the Festival of Light at St Mary's church in Sawbridgeworth. 

Sept 2021 - July 2022

School Allotment - Summer Term 2022

The children have been busy growing produce throughout the year.

School Allotment - Autumn Term 2021

The school allotment is bursting with wonderful produce grown by the children from Van Hage's kind donation. We look forward to creating an autumn display to show at the harvest service.

Sept 2018 - July 2019

RSPB

Eco Council have taken part in ‘Bird Watch’ 2019 for the RSPB. They made several bird feeders and we hung them on the trees just outside the music room. The Eco council then completed the survey by observing the different types of birds that they saw. The results of our observations were then sent to RSPB. The children enjoyed taking part in the survey and watching the birds as they ate the food; they also enjoyed rolling their sleeves up and making the bird feeders.

Sept 2017 - July 2018

Allotment Harvest

The children harvest the produce they have grown in the school allotment and prepare it for the Harvest Festival to display in church.

Vegetable Selection

The children's hard work has paid off, the vegetables are growing well.

Sept 2016 - July 2017

Modeshift Stars

We have successfully achieved our Bronze level Modeshift STARS accreditation, a scheme established to recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel. Schools across the country are encouraged to join in a major effort to increase levels of sustainable and active travel in order to improve the health and well-being of children and young people. We look forward to the presentation of our star and plaque next term.

Clean Air Day

On June 15th we supported the East Herts Council Anti-idling Awareness campaign- ‘Turn your key- be idle free’ to coincide with the National Clean Air Day. Studies show that air pollution can slow down the development of children’s lungs leading to lifelong consequences.

The children created posters to show their messages.

Allotment Maintenance

Yr5 & Yr6 children tidy the allotment before winter sets in.

Sept 2015 - July 2016

The Energy Eagles

Throughout the year our Energy Eagles checked energy efficiency each week (i.e. they checked that lights, taps and whiteboards were turned off) and reported back each Friday in assembly.

Sunflowers

The sunflowers the children planted in the allotment have grown very tall. The bees collect pollen during the summer months and when the flowers die the seeds will be used to make bird food.

Let's Get Wild In June

As part of 'Let's Get Wild in June' the Eco Council tidied up the Wildlife area and scattered seed bombs. Year 2 went to the allotment and helped keep the area tidy. Year 3 went pond dipping in the wildlife area. Year 4 carried out a tree study. Year 6 sketched their surroundings and observed the creatures living in our pond. Children form various classes searched the field for mini wildlife and also took photographs of our surrounding scenery.
The Eco Council then led a presentation to the school to summarise the events that took place to promote celebrating wild life over the summer holidays.

Summer Term in the Allotment

Yr4 harvest the vegetables sown last autumn.

The children plant beans, courgette, marrow and pumpkin.

The autumn planting is a great success, the onoins, broadbeans and garlic are all growing well.

General Maintenance

Spring in the Wildlife Garden

Watching The Birds

The children have started gathering data for the RSPB Big Schools' Bird Watch. The children regularly stock up the feeders in the Wildlife Garden.

Here are some of our visitors.

Robin	Great Tit	Thrush	Wren	Dunnock

Autmn Term in the Allotment

The children weed the vegetable beds and prepare sections of the soil for autumn planting.

Sept 2014 - July 2015

Allotment - Month of June

The children have planted lots of different vegetables which are all growing well - butternut squash, courgette, marrow, onion, pea, and strawberry. The established raspberry canes are also full of fruit.

Visitors To Our Wildlife Garden

The Robin, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and Dunnock visit the feeders in the Wildlife Garden to eat the food made by the children.

RSPB Wildlife Action Awards - * The children have now achieved their Gold Award *

The Wildlife Action Award is a scheme regarding finding out about wildlife, doing practical things to help and telling other people.  Lots of things threaten our wildlife, but there are things we can all do to help.
The children worked through various activities from the following four sections to achieve their Gold Award - Finding Out What's There, Helping Wildlife, Being Environmemtally Friendly and Spread the Word.
The RSPB awarded each child a set of gold stickers, a certificate for every class and a gave us a great new wildlife book titled '100 Bizarre Animals' to add to our school library.

RSPB Big Schools' Bird Watch 2015 - 5th January-13th February

Members of the Eco Council took part in this activity.
We would like to thank Gravelles Budgens of Sawbridgeworth for their bread donations.

The Woodland Trust Green Tree Schools Award

The Green Tree Schools Award is an environmental activities scheme.
Our latest activity 'Finding A View' helped us achieve our Gold Award. This photographic challenge encouraged the children to explore the natural world around them from different perspectives.
The Woodland Trust said "Thank you for sending us your photos, they are wonderful".

Through the eyes of a bird sitting in the hedge.	Through the eyes of an insect looking for a drink.
Through the eyes of a spider waiting by his web.	Through the eyes of a squirrel sitting in the bush.
Through the eyes of a caterpillar looking for his lunch.

Bug Hotel

This is the Eco Council making a ‘Bug Hotel’ using wooden pallets and lots of other materials that bugs might enjoy living in, such as terracotta pots, bark, leaves, twigs and pine cones.
They are hoping that lots of new ‘residents’ will move in over the winter – perhaps tempted by the adverts on it!

Sept 2013 - July 2015

Garden Restoration

It's that time of year again! Our wildlife garden is ready for it's annual makeover. The weeds need pulling, the plants need pruning and a general tidy is essential to encourage the wildlife back in for the summer.

This year we are hoping to give it a little face lift as well. The Eco-council have been busy finding out what the children would like to see in the wildlife garden and how they think it could be improved. They came up with some amazing ideas!

• A hide where the children can watch the wildlife without disturbing them.
• Magnifying glasses - to get a close view of the insects and minibeasts.
• Information cards to help the children identify what they have seen.
• Create different planting areas to attract a variety of creatures.
• Make food for the bird station.
• Renovate the bug hotel.
• Re-establish the pond.

We hope you enjoy following our project and learning all about our Wildlife Garden.

Home For Hedgehogs - by Yr3 & 5 Eco Reporters

	The children in Reception Class have been busy working on their excellent hedgehog home.  They made it out of a range of objects which were: a big cardboard box covered with a white plastic bag, heavy duty tape (they call it Mr. Counsell tape), shredded paper stuffed inside the box, vent holes on both sides and brilliant drawings stuck onto the box.  The children had lots of fun making it.    The hedgehog home has been put safely at the bottom of the woods under a fallen tree where the hedgehogs are safe and warm.  Red class talked about a safe place for them to live (where they would not be disturbed).  Lucca and George also found a small box and they thought that mice and baby hedgehogs might crawl into the box.    Here are some of the things the children said about this activity: "I really had fun making it" "I liked putting the paper inside for the hedgehogs to lay on. "We put leaves into the box to keep it warm.”
Red class are looking forward to seeing if any hedgehogs are living there.  Watch this space for more information!

Feeding The Birds

Now it’s time to sit back and watch how many different birds come to enjoy our lovely food!