Eco Warriors at Highfield and Brookham Schools gain Green Flag Status

Eight children from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 are taking meaningful steps to ensure Highfield and Brookham Schools in Liphook are as eco-friendly as possible. The eight Eco Warriors had already received their Bronze and Silver Awards from Eco-Schools, part of Keep Britain Tidy, but this wasn’t enough for the determined children.

The team worked tirelessly over the past academic year, planning and implementing projects in order to gain the prestigious Green Flag Status. They focused on three key areas. First, biodiversity; to encourage and protect the hedgehog population at Highfield and Brookham, they made four wooden hedgehog boxes which they placed in the school grounds. Second, energy; they organised a SWISH event where people brought in items of clothes which they no longer wore and then swapped them with other children. They also visited the school's very own biomass and learnt about the renewable energy source. They then held an assembly to educate their schoolmates. The woodchip biomass, which has been running for 7 years, replaced 20 oil fired burners, saving 140,000 litres of oil per year.

One Eco Warrior said, “We learned about how the school produces energy via a renewable source. With a focus on cutting pollution, it seemed important to find out how the school plays its part.”

The third area they focused on was global citizenship. The Eco Warriors learnt about Fair Trade and made posters which they displayed in the hall during Fair Trade week. Luckily, just before lockdown a Green Flag Assessor came to Highfield and Brookham where the Eco Warriors spent time showing him around and explaining how they believed they qualified for a Green Flag.

The Eco-Schools programme is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path towards improving the environment in both the school and the local community while at the same time having a life-long positive impact on the lives of young people and their families.

The children and Brookham Headteacher, Mrs Sophie Baber, were overjoyed at the news of their Green Flag Status but they won’t stop there. When asked what their next steps were the Eco Warriors said, “Organise another swish event. Talk to the catering staff about our meat and dairy consumption. Look at other ways we can encourage biodiversity within the school grounds.”

To find out more about Highfield and Brookham Schools and their environmental ethos please visit highfieldandbrookham.co.uk.