Colindale Primary School is an Eco School and has been since 2016.
We have been awarded the Green Flag five times, this year with Distinction, 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’ feedback regarding this year’s Green Flag award:
“Congratulations!!! Fantastic work!
It is evident that young people in your school are aware of environmental issues and passionate about protecting our planet – your large Eco-Committee, totalling 18 student members, clearly demonstrates this. We took great pleasure in reading the insightful comments on your Environmental Review focused on improving your lowest scores. We love the variety of activities contained in your Action Plan; it perfectly demonstrates that there are several different approaches to creating positive change.
Your Action Plan is clearly aimed at involving as many people as possible, maximizing the impacts of your Eco-Schools activities. Not intent on simply improving the sustainability of their own school site, your Eco-Committee extended their efforts to involve your wider school community, maximising their positive impacts. Staff members in your school have creatively included environmental issues in their teaching, your pupils are fortunate to have teachers who plan such exceptional learning opportunities for them. You have skilfully embedded environmental issues into your curriculum, using these issues to engage pupils and enrich their learning. Your school has truly gone above and beyond to make environmental education engaging for young people. Thank you so much for sharing examples of pupil’s work in your application such as the brilliant upcycling project work, they really helped our team understand and appreciate the environmental learning occurring in your school. Your application includes a wonderful example of a lesson plan covering environmental issues. This example clearly demonstrates that staff members in your school are willing to go above and beyond to include these important issues in pupil’s learning. Pass on a thank you to them from the Eco-Schools’ Team. We praise your Eco-Ambassadors for their wonderful efforts to keep their school updated about their Eco-Schools’ work.
Delivering an assembly about their work will have taken a lot of courage, so especially well done for doing so! Without doubt the ability to engage other members of your community in your Eco-Schools’ work is one of your biggest strengths. You’re clearly right at the heart of an environmental movement in your local area. The greatest success of your Eco-Schools’ journey was your Eco-Ambassadors embracing the leadership responsibilities to host whole-school assemblies as well as improving and influencing chosen travel to school and we agree that this is something to be very proud of. Your chosen Eco-Code song is practical and positive, a great reflection of your Eco-Schools work and the ethos your Eco-Committee have created at Colindale Primary School. Throughout your application, you have consistently demonstrated a whole-school commitment to youth-led environmental action. As a result, we are delighted to recognize your brilliant work with an Eco-Schools’ Green Flag with Distinction.”
Every year, a new group of children is elected by their peers to represent them as Eco Ambassadors on the Eco-Committee. We usually keep the same Year 1 Eco Ambassadors as they move into Year 2, since they are very young when they start and benefit from having more time to actively engage with the initiatives.
Linked to Rights Respecting Articles: 3, 4, 6, 24
Eco Code
Put your rubbish in the bin,
That’s where all the mess goes in.
Paper, plastic, glass and food,
Sort it right-it helps the mood!
Plant a tree and watch it grow,
Give it water, nice and slow.
Leaves so green begin to show,
Brunches reaching as they grow.
Look after flowers, grass and bees,
They all live with plants and trees.
Pick up litter, don’t be mean-
Let’s keep our whole planet clean!
We all can help in our own way,
To make the Earth better every day.
2024-2025 Eco Ambassadors
1CH
2A
3FD
4H
5G
6B
1M
2DT
3N
4J
5R
6N
1T
2F
3S
4S
5T
6P
Eco Actions
October: Walk to School Month/WOW-Walk to School Challenge
Every October, we join schools around the world in celebrating International Walk to School Month—a global initiative promoting sustainable travel. At Colindale Primary School, we mark the occasion with our annual Walk to School Challenge, encouraging all children to walk, cycle, or scoot to school at least three times a week throughout the month.
Pupils who complete at least nine sustainable journeys in October receive a WOW badge. Eco Ambassadors track daily journeys in each class. We have moved to digital records to reduce paper and ink use. The class with the highest number of sustainable journeys wins the Eco Trophy—this year’s winners were 2DT and 4H.
The challenge was a huge success, with over 7,000 sustainable journeys recorded. It not only supported our climate goals but also helped reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety in our community.
Switch off day
In November, 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. On that day 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.
Our efforts have paid off as our energy consumption decreased on that day by 17%. The children also took part in competitions linked to our energy-saving topic.
- Years 1 and 2 created posters,
- Years 3 and 4 wrote acrostic poems,
- Years 5 and 6 wrote persuasive letters or speeches encouraging energy conservation.
The best entries from each year group were featured in the school newsletter, and selected letters and speeches from Years 5 and 6 were also presented to the headteacher.
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! We will continue to keep an interactive online record to save paper and engage the pupils.
This year our school is 36th out of 1299 large primary schools nationally and 15th out of 167 schools in London! The children made more than 5,000 sustainable journeys to school.
Recycling
In Colindale Primary School, we are committed to reducing waste through a range of recycling initiatives. We recycle paper, single-use water bottles, milk bottles, batteries, food waste, and textiles.
Eat Them to Defeat Them
We’re excited to take part in the Eat Them to Defeat Them campaign—an engaging UK-wide initiative that encourages children to eat more vegetables in a fun way.
Running from 10th March to the end of term, the campaign features school activities and take-home packs to motivate pupils to try new vegetables each week.
Families are encouraged to join the fun and support healthy eating at home—let’s defeat those veggies one bite at a time!
And our efforts don’t stop there! Stay informed about our ongoing actions by checking the school e-newsletters.
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