Easton Royal Academy has proudly been awarded the coveted Eco Green Flag with distinction, recognising the school’s outstanding efforts in sustainability and environmental stewardship. This accolade marks the culmination of months of dedication by students, staff, and the wider school community, who have united under the banner of their “Eco Royal Warriors” to transform the school into an eco-friendly haven.

The school embarked on three major projects to achieve this prestigious recognition: creating a nature and wildlife reserve on the school grounds, improving recycling efforts, and reducing food waste through enhanced composting systems.

One of the highlights of the journey has been the flourishing pollinator patch, where wildflower seeds were sown to attract bees and other pollinators. “We’ve loved watching it grow and seeing how much the bees love it,” remarked one student. The meadow has also provided an interactive learning experience for children, who have enjoyed identifying the diverse range of flowers that change with the seasons. Meanwhile, the bug hotel, maintained by Squirrel’s Gardening Club, has provided a cozy home for insects—and even some baby rabbits!

In a move to engage the entire school, every student planted a sunflower seed, which will soon be transferred to the school grounds. The Gardening Club took sunflower seeds home as well, creating a sense of ownership and pride in the project.

One of the most impactful initiatives has been the overhaul of the school’s composting system. At lunchtime, food waste is now meticulously sorted into compostable, recyclable, and general waste bins. The school’s compost caddy is emptied daily, and over the past four months, students have composted an impressive 112.5 litres of food waste every three weeks. This adds up to a projected 1,462.5 litres of food waste being composted annually. Furthermore, recycling efforts are projected to save the equivalent of 10 full bin bags of packaging waste from going to landfill every school year.

Easton Royal Academy’s success has also been supported by generous contributions from local businesses and donors. The Bee Friendly Trust provided plants and pollinator colouring books, Whitehall Garden Centre donated compost for the sunflower project, and a school governor gifted a new bug hotel after being inspired by the students’ presentation—the first-ever children’s presentation to the board!

“We are so proud of all the hard work and ideas the children put into this project and we’re pleased that this was recognised with a distinction!” said Clea Sambrook, staff lead.

With their Green Flag flying high, Easton Royal Academy is truly leading by example, showing that small changes can have a big impact on the environment and future generations.