Eastbourne school wins nationwide award for eco work

The Parkland Federation, in Brassey Avenue, received the Green Flag Eco Award which came with distinction – this is the highest level that a school can receive.

The award assessor said in a report to the school: “You have made great strides in reducing waste and embracing new habits that are conducive to long-term, positive change. This is something that you should all be immensely proud of!

"Congratulations to you all for your hard work and excellent application. You have more than earned your Green Flag with distinction accreditation!”

Year 4 pupil Oscar said: “We have worked hard to help make our community a better place. We have learnt about looking after the ocean and the planet through being on the Eco Committee.”

Some of the work done by the school includes making sure students are taught about sustainability and being eco-friendly. The school grounds feature a range of animals, wildflower gardens, a pond, trees, and vegetable patches – this allows the children to learn about biodiversity.

The school has also been involved with work to protect the nearby coastline.

One project involved collecting 6,000 plastic bottle tops to emphasise how we can recycle and reuse items. The tops were used to create a mural that is displayed in the school grounds.

Not only this, the mural came first in a nationwide competition ‘Message in a Bottle Top’.

Year 1 Maya said: “I don’t like that the sea turtles and dolphins get trapped in plastic bits! Can you imagine how scared they are?”

Animal therapy at the Parkland Federation