In May 2023, we were delighted to be awarded a Distinction in the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. The Eco-Schools programme began in 1994 and schools in more than seventy countries participate. The programme is a simple seven-step framework designed to place young people in control of environmental action in their school, local community and beyond.

The award feedback from Eco-Schools was a lovely read, commenting on how impressed they were that our Eco-Club is represented by pupils across a broad age spectrum, with everyone taking it in turns to take the minutes and set the agenda, which ensures that the children feel a strong sense of responsibility for, and ownership of, their work, helping to nurture an array of real-world skills. The Environmental Review carried out by the pupils contained incisive comments that demonstrated an ongoing commitment to a wider understanding and awareness of where the greatest gains have been made, as well as informing discussion and debate on the future direction of our Eco-Schools work.

They commented that the Eco-Board, newsletter, assemblies, bulletins, social media presence and TfL STARS accreditation are all testament to how the pupils engage and involve families and the wider community in the work of the Eco-Club. This commitment to inclusivity reflects an open spirit that has culminated in so much positive action and sets a high benchmark for the collaborative approach we will all need to adopt to combat climate change. Finally, in offering their huge congratulations for what has been achieved, they commented that such self-aware and compassionate eco-citizens among the pupil body must be an immense source of pride for everyone at Radnor House – which indeed it is!
 

The ten topics that the Eco-Club continues to look at are:

· Biodiversity: caring for all plants, animals and insects;

· Energy: reducing energy use and investing in greener energy sources;

· Global Citizenship: making our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fair;

· Healthy Living: improving physical and mental wellbeing;

· Litter: reducing litter, which harms wildlife and costs millions of pounds to clear every year;

· Marine: protecting all rivers, canals, lakes and oceans;

· School Grounds: improving schools for pupils, staff, plants and wildlife;

· Transport: finding more environmentally friendly ways to travel;

· Waste: refusing, reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling;

· Water: protecting our most important natural resource.

Radnor House Eco Code