Colindale Primary School is an Eco School and has been since 2016.
We have been awarded the Green Flag three times for all our work towards becoming a sustainable, environmentally, and eco-friendly community and taking positive action to protect and preserve our planet. Our green flag flies above our school and we are very proud of it!
This is part of the assessors’ recent feedback:
“We love your open and democratic approach to selecting Eco-Committee members. It’s wonderful to see how other pupils played a part in the selection process by voting for the best candidate. We love your Eco-Committee’s dedication to gathering information by working with school stakeholders, such as your site manager. We love how diligently you and your Eco-Committee have promoted and invited participation in your Eco-Schools activity through peer feedback, newsletters, emails to parents, workshops, competitions, and your Eco-Board. We think your Eco-Code is great. It aligns with your school’s values. Your achievements this year have been fantastic. We have no doubt that the way you have all worked so hard to bring momentum to your Eco-Schools programme in the wake of Covid and all its challenges must be an immense source of pride for you at Colindale. Congratulations on earning your Green Flag accreditation!”
Every year we have a new group of children who are voted by their peers to represent them as their Eco Ambassador, on the Eco-Committee.
Linked to Rights Respecting Articles: 3, 4, 6, 24
2022-2023 Eco Ambassadors
1A – Laith
2A – Mubasher
3F – Amira
4J– Neeva
5B – Lucas
6R – Avi
1R – Hudayr
2m – Rebeca
3D – Selina
4P – Ana
5M – Hamaad
6K – Zayd
1T – Hamza
2T – Bobby Jo
3N – Timothy
4G – Juliette
5J – Alexandra
6N – Aleeza
Eco Actions
October: Walk to School Month/WOW-Walk to School Challenge
Every October is International Walk to School Month – an opportunity for children to join hundreds of thousands of pupils across the globe celebrating the walk to school.
Colindale Primary School takes part in it every year with great success by having a Walk to School Challenge. Every child is encouraged to travel sustainably such as walking, cycling or scooting at least 3 times per week for a month. At the end of October, the children with at least 12 sustainable journeys receive a WOW badge. The Eco Ambassadors note the journeys of all the children in their class every day, to keep a record. The class with the most sustainable journeys wins the Eco trophy.
This year it was a huge success as we made 6,253 sustainable journeys!
Switch off day
In October we celebrate our annual Switch Off Day as part of the national energy campaign, Switch Off Fortnight, which is organised by The Pod in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust Foundation. It is a day that we save as much electricity as possible by switching off lights, not using computers, laptops or smart boards and learning new ways to tackle climate change, raise awareness and protect our planet.
This year, although our school has LED lights and the pool wasn’t working on that day, we managed to save 14% of electricity! The children also took part in a competition by writing poems or songs and making posters of how we can save energy and help the environment. Here are some of the entries:
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel Challenge
Every Spring we take part in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel which “inspires pupils to make active journeys to school, improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit their world.” Each class keeps a record with the children’ s sustainable journeys and the class with the most wins the Eco Trophy and badges! This year, we are keeping an interactive online record to save paper and engage the pupils.
Recycling
In Colindale Primary School we are trying to reduce waste by recycling. We recycle paper, single use water bottles, milk bottles, batteries, writing instruments and toners.
We will soon re-launch our textile recycling!
