Clavering Primary School

ECO-SCHOOLS

Did you know that Clavering holds the 'Green Flag' award: the highest level of the Eco-Schools award scheme?

'Let us be good stewards of the Earth we inherited. All of us have to share the Earth’s fragile ecosystems and precious resources, and each of us has a role to play in preserving them. If we are to go on living together on this Earth, we must all be responsible for it.' (Kofi Annan)

Dear parents, carers, children and other interested parties,

At Clavering Primary School, we believe that children who are connected to the natural world will positively shape the future which is why we are an ‘Eco-School’. ‘Eco-Schools’ is an international award programme that assists schools on their sustainable journey, helping to make sustainability an integral part of school life.

We are proud that Clavering pupils embrace the opportunity to learn outdoors, be adventurous in wild spaces and work hard as active conservationists. After all, if children are not connected to the environment, how will they learn about, understand and take care of it?

This section of our website has been created to celebrate and showcase some of the work that we do within the Eco-Schools framework.

Best wishes, 

Mrs S. Weightman

Eco-Schools Leader 

Mr N. McAvoy

Deputy Headteacher & Eco-Schools Champion

CLAVERING ECO CODE

The 'Clavering Eco Code' was written by our Eco Committee and was shared with all of our pupils in a whole-school assembly.

The 'Clavering Eco Code' is displayed in every classroom and in other prominent areas of the school in the hope that it is followed by every member of the Clavering Family every day!

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CLAVERING ECO COMMITTEE

Although we are committed to ensuring that every member of the Clavering Family is an active conservationist, it is the members of our Clavering Eco Commitee who lead our Eco-Schools work across the school.

The rest of this webpage details some of the work that we do within each aspect of the Eco-Schools framework.

This work is also shared on our 'Go for Green!' Eco-Schools display board in our central corridor.

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BIODIVERSITY

We have an established Outdoor Learning Zone consisting of a pond area, wildlife garden, outdoor learning tables, green house and chicken area. We also have a large field area and an orchard. Every part of our Outdoor Learning Zone is home to an amazing abundance of plants and animals! 

The maintenance of our Outdoor Learning Zone falls under the responsibility of the Gardening Club; however, the whole school is involved in taking responsibility for these areas when they use them.

Our Outdoor Learning Zone is home to a variety of plants and animals, including our resident hedgehogs, amphibians and chickens.

Aspects of our biodiversity work are carried out in collaboration with a number of local and national organisations:

Our Eco Committee has taken the lead on our participation in the British Trust for Ornithology’s ‘What’s Under Your Feet?’ action research project.

Biodiversity is studied in various science topics across the school: animals in the autumn term in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4; living things and their habitats in Years 2, 3 and 4 in the autumn term; plants in Years 1, 2 and 3 in the summer term; and all of this is revised and extended in Year 6.

Children in Year 2 develop their knowledge and understanding about biodiversity during their trip in the Wynyard Woods with the West View Project.

Children in Year 4 complete a biodiversity field study workshop with experts from Teesmouth Field Centre as part of one of their biology units.

Children in Reception develop their knowledge and understanding of biodiversity during their time in the Wynyard Woods and the various activities they complete in their Early Years grounds. 

Participants in our John Muir Award Programme have the opportunity to extend and develop their knowledge and understanding of biodiversity. 

WATER

All children and staff members are encouraged to not leave taps running or use excessive amounts of water when washing hands, equipment, etc. Our Eco Committee monitors taps around the school to ensure that there aren’t any parts of the school where taps are being left on. 

The Gardening Club has installed two water butts to recycle rain water which is then used in our Outdoor Learning Zone.

Our Eco Committee monitor any leaks around the school, reporting them to the school’s onsite supervisor, Mr Bainbridge, who addresses the problems immediately and feeds back to the Eco Committee.

Children in Year 4 learn about the importance of not wasting water and how to save water. They write various different texts linked to conserving water.

Our Year 4 Eco Schools ‘Water’ topic is linked with the charity ‘Water Aid’.

Children in Year 4 learn about the water cycle; this work is extended and developed in Year 6.

ENERGY

The Eco Committee takes the lead on addressing and monitoring any energy-related issues in school; however, the whole school is involved in taking responsibility for minimising energy waste. All children and staff members are encouraged to switch off energy appliances (e.g. computers) and lights.

When we have any new building work completed, we urge the planners to include energy-efficient lights that automatically switch off.

We always participate in The Pod’s ‘Switch Off Fortnight’ campaign.

In Year 5, there is a specific Eco Schools topic linked to energy. The children learn about renewable and non-renewable energy resources, how to lower energy emissions and how to save energy at home. The children complete an investigation into how to make the school more energy efficient with findings reported to the headteacher.

Due to our actions, our energy use has reduced and we now fall in the D banding of energy performance operational rating at 82kwh; this is below the typical rating of 100kwh.

HEALTHY LIVING

We promote healthy food choices through various topics (particularly, D&T and science) and our involvement in the Key Stage 1 free fruit scheme, healthy snacks in the EYFS and healthy lunch choices.

During lessons, children have access to fresh drinking water, windows can be opened for ventilation and active learning helps to avoid children being sedentary for too long.  

Children learn about physical and mental health in our science curriculum and understand that there are many benefits from being involved in physical activity.

We offer a rich variety of extra-curricular activities linked to healthy living and regularly represent Hartlepool as town champions at Tees Valley Sport Finals. 

All pupils study two hours of PE every week as well as participating in a minimum of thirty minutes of physical activity every day as part of our nationally-recognised Physical Activity Strategy that has been shared with professionals working in over 10,000 British schools!  

We annually used to retain the GOLD standard of both the ‘School Games Award’ and the ‘Youth Sport Trust Kitemark’; the first year we achieved GOLD, Mr Iain Wright MP joined us for a special GOLD Healthy Living, PE and Sport Celebration Event. In 2018, after five successive years of being a GOLD School Games school, we achieved the SCHOOL GAMES PLATINUM AWARD which was a new extension to the School Games Mark.

The success of our work to promote healthy living, PE and school sport has resulted in us sharing our practice and writing case studies for a variety of local and national organisations; in addition, Mr McAvoy has been recruited by the Youth Sport Trust to volunteer as a Headteacher Ambassador and we are proud to be a Lead Health & Wellbeing School for the Youth Sport Trust.

CONSERVATION

At Clavering Primary School, we believe that it is not enough for us to be in sympathy with the plight of the natural world, but that we must become ‘active conservationists’. Children and staff members are actively encouraged to protect the environment. This includes our school grounds, our homes, our wider community and the various ‘wild spaces’ that we encounter as part of the Clavering curriculum (e.g. the Wynyard Woods) and extra-curricular activities (e.g. the North York Moors). 

Children in Year 6 have the opportunity to gain the John Muir Award which is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places. It encourages people to connect with, enjoy and care for the natural environment in a spirit of fun and adventure. 

In 2012, we were incredibly proud to be awarded 'John Muir Award Provider Status' by the John Muir Trust. This is a significant accolade for a primary school and is a wonderful reflection on the quality of our John Muir Award Programme. 

John Muir might seem like a distant historical figure to some, but his message – that we all need to experience, enjoy and care for wild places – is as relevant today as it ever was.