Kent primary wins Green School Award for 'bug hotel'

 

A Kent primary school has won the prestigious Green School Award for pupils’ environmental work with their local church.

Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School, part of Aquila, Diocese of Canterbury Academies Trust, received the award for encouraging nature to flourish in the grounds of St Peter and St Paul’s Church, near the school.

Pupils at the school collected natural materials from their local area to create a ‘bug hotel’. They regularly observe and care for the insects and creatures that have made it their home.

Social Enterprise Kent, which runs the Green School Award, praised the pupils’ dedication to the project.

Zachary, aged 10, and Olivia, aged 11, collected the award for the school and said "We really enjoyed participating in the project as it helped us learn more about our environment and what we can do to look after it."

Nicholas Robbins, a senior leader at the school who organised the project, said: “We are so proud of the children and their success in receiving this award. Together, both the church and the school have worked closely to make this possible and we look forward to even more success in the new year and beyond.”

“We are very active in encouraging the children to be responsible citizens. We are near the end of a project run by Global Action Plan where children are given a voice on environmental issues. The project this year was centred around recycling and the impact litter can have on the local area. The children created sculptures using crisp packets of different animals affected by litter. In January, we will begin the Blue Influencers Scheme run by Kent Wildlife Trust.”