At South Bersted CE Primary School the aim of our children’s Eco Committee is to encourage everyone within the school community to become environmentally aware. We are always on the lookout for ways of making sure that our school is eco-friendly. We hold half-termly meetings where we discuss projects for the coming months, such as recycling, litter picking, as well as planting areas in the school grounds and ensuring we all make good use of the wildlife area at the end of the school field.

In July 2024, we received our Green Flag with ‘Distinction.’ The Eco-Schools Green Flag is an internationally recognised award for excellence in environmental action and learning.

In September 2024, the following children were voted to be their class Eco Reps:

Year 1: Molly and Jacob L

Year 2: Poppy and Luna – Bella

Year 3: Freddie and Lyla

Year 4: Amelia R and Daniel

Year 5: Hope and Rex

Year 6: Elsie G and Francesca

Eco Assembly

The Eco Council held a whole school assembly to talk about wildlife and what we can do to help them and protect their habitats. A challenge was set for the whole school to “Do Something For Nature”. Gillian Edom who is involved with many Wildlife and Eco friendly projects including the Hedgehog Surveys and Bognor Regis in Bloom, came in to present the Eco Council with their Badges

Bognor Regis In Bloom Award

We were delighted to be awarded Gold at the Bognor Regis in Bloom 2024 awards.  Our prize was awarded in the ‘best vegetable plot in a school’ category.  We were thrilled to be able to attend the awards ceremony and collect our prize.

Digital Camera

Gardening

Our School Vegetable plot is continuing to produce, we have a vegetable bed growing a variety of vegetables, a herb bed and a fruit bed with Strawberries and Raspberries. We use these in outdoor learning and Eco groups use the fruits to make drinks or icecream. We have also had sales of our produce at school fayres and after school to raise money for more Eco projects.

Tesco Community Grant

We were so pleased to be awarded a Tesco community grant which we used to purchase additional benches for our fire circle within our wildlife/pond area , some new wildlife and nature signs to help the children learn about the seasons, new seating cushions for outdoor learning and some breaktime and lunchtime games to play together.

Planet Protector Award

Planet protector, an award through wastebusters. We were awarded a gold award this year for completion of 6 missions including battery collections, recycling by donating toys, secondhand uniform sales and recycling food waste into compost.

Wild Challenge Award

Wild challenge, awarded through the RSPB and we obtained a bronze award this year for completing 6 challenges, 3 to help wildlife and 3 to explore wildlife. These challenges ranged from pond dipping in outdoor learning lessons, to making bird feeders.

PAGES Award

PAGES, primary awards in green education in schools. We obtained several awards through pages this year, some for larger projects such as our hedgehog work, some for making bird feeders, and some for work in class investigating nature such as plant dissection.

Community Projects

Over the last couple of years the school have carried out several hedgehog tracking surveys on school grounds. These are linked to Hotham park and the university to map where hedgehogs roam in the local area. The children have done lots of things to help the hedgehogs including making a few hedge houses on the grounds. The school has been accepted onto the Hedgehog friendly campus scheme this year so stay tuned for many more hedgehog related stories.

Children exploring the hedgehog tunnel. 

The discovery of hedgehog footprints.

Hedgehog art work.