The Eco Schools committee has had a busy term at WGHS as we work towards gaining our accreditation. 

After spending the autumn term planning we launched Eco Schools with an assembly in January. We shared our targets to improve energy usage, transport and biodiversity within the school and how we aimed to achieve this. The assembly is probably best remembered for a whole school sing-along of the Oasis classic “Don’t look back in anger” supported by a band of students. 

An energy saving poster competition was launched for Year 7 and students could work in groups or individually. When the entries were collected they were judged by WGHS Governor Mr McKinlay and the winning students were Felicity, Tabs and Pippa.

Mr McKinley said “all of the entries were excellent but the winning poster really met the brief. Visually it is clear about the need to save electricity but it also links into the wider issues of climate change around the world”.

They were presented with their prize of a chocolate bar and pencil that can be planted to grow some bee friendly flowers when it is finished. 

The DT department are doing their part by running a mini makers club building bird houses that will be put around the WGHS site. To help raise funds to support our efforts in school we will be selling custom plaques that will go on the birdhouses as a permanent memento. The perfect birthday present! Look out for news on this next term.

Finally Eco Schools wanted to raise money to support charitable causes close to our hearts. We have chosen Rewilding Britain who work to help Britain reconnect with the natural world and to tackle the species extinction crisis. We did this through a raffle where students would win Easter eggs and also seed trays and packs of herb seeds. A magnificent selling effort from students across the year groups raised a total of £101.85 with the winning tickets drawn at the end of term assembly.

The good work is only beginning, look out for more from the Eco Schools committee shortly.

Mr J Ryding

Geography Teacher and Eco-Schools Lead