Awareness into action at Port Regis Pre-Prep

We have been busy at Port Regis Pre-Prep and Nursery developing our awareness of environmental issues through weekly assemblies, discussion and classroom activities which have been woven into topic and curriculum work, reducing our impact on our environment and the world as a whole, which has inspired the school to take action and change where needed.

 Initiatives, opportunities and activities have developed through discussion with the children over the course of a term.

We have taken positive steps to reduce our energy consumption by carrying out energy surveys and audits in years 1 and 3, with positive action being taken when lights have been left on and windows wide open in the chill of winter and spring. We are about to monitor our electricity output and see what further improvements can be made over time, benefiting the school as a whole financially but also the globe in our small little way.

We have also improved our recycling and are actively encouraging parents who are not on a country council recycling route to use the recycling bins now available at school for plastic, bottles, cans, card, juice cartons, foil and paper.

Children and willing adults planted over 100 native trees thanks to the Woodland Trust tree planting initiative.  This aims to create an additional copse in which wildlife can thrive as well as having the environmental benefits of off-setting some carbon use within the school, along with trees in time filtering pollution and releasing oxygen for our ultimate gain.

“Only another 99 to go!”

To develop independence, personal responsibility and choice, a knowledge of gardening and the pride achievable having grown your own, to name just a few reasons to try gardening, our Year 1 class have measured, dug, manured and sown their own individual rows of vegetables and are now responsible for these. Each child selected their favourite vegetables to grow from seed with the ultimate aim of having one meal which has been sown, grown, harvested, prepared and cooked by their own fair hands.

All children within the school planted a few tomato seeds on Red Nose Day, with plants having now been pinched out and transplanted into unwanted wellington boots. The idea is that when the children harvest their tomatoes they recollect Red Nose Day and remember charity is not just a one off event but occurs throughout the year and the need to be charitable is ever growing.

Forest School activities continue weekly for Port Regis children which helps develop a love and understanding of and for nature, along with a chance to work in small mixed year groups encouraging communication, thought and consideration for others. This term we have opened our site to the community, enabling a local nursery to use our Forest School twice a week, with sessions led by our staff.  These sessions allow others the chance to experience the wonders of a woodland environment and the benefits and skills extending from just experiences.