CITIZENSHIP The Police Community Clubs
September 2011 The Green Issue
magazine for schools
Community Education Awards 2011 The importance of an Eco-Club Kids discuss the environment Growing your own
Contents
Letter from the editor
In this latest issue of Citizenship Magazine we will be going green and taking a look at how children can learn about their environment and 6 understand the challenges we all face in trying to protect it. We will be looking at the ways in which schools have looked to establish ‘eco-clubs’, developing projects encouraging sustainability Focus on - The Citizenship 11 and how the work carried out in a school can involve the wider Magazine Award for Outstanding community too. PSHE/Citizenship Teacher With so many issues currently affecting the environment we will seek to provide an insight into the problems we currently face. Also, we will Ysgol Glan Gele - transforming 12 look to inform you of the steps being taken to protect our environment an eyesore into an award both in this country, and on a global scale. winning garden A lesson plan on how to approach teaching children about the environment has also been included and will provide an effective learning resource for teachers. We will also be asking children what REGULAR ITEMS they can do to help the environment and their understanding of Police Community Clubs 5 subjects such as recycling and energy reduction. of Great Britain - News Winner of the Ecotricity Green Schools Project Award at the A guide to growing your 24 Community Education Awards, Ysgol Glan Gele are featured as an carrots example of how an environment focussed project can help improve Q and A with St Huberts Catholic 28 community links and promote positive citizenship skills which will stay Primary School Headteacher, with children as they grow into adults. We also bring you a special Clare McNally report on the success of the first ever Community Education Awards which were held on July 1st and hosted by Esther Rantzen CBE. Pupil’s Corner - Talking about 34 As well as featuring Ysgol Glan Gele, I catch up with St Hubert’s the environment Primary School headteacher, Clare McNally who’s Eco-Team and Learning Network won The Ecotricity Green Schools Eco-Innovation Award. We will also tell you all about the person who was awarded LESSON IDEAS The Citizenship Magazine Award for Outstanding PSHE/Citizenship How to start your own Eco-Club 16 Teacher. An introduction to the 20 Please take a moment to check out our website for our latest blog, environment follow our Twitter updates (@Citizenship_mag) and apply for our free subscription service. And if you have any suggestions on how to help Notice to Advertisers develop citizenship and PSHE teachers, email me at Whilst every care is taken to ensure that andrew@thecitizenshipmagazine.org the contents including advertisements are FEATURES A review of The Community Education Awards 2011
accurate, the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors.
Editor
Andrew Davies, Editor
Andrew Davies
Contributor Dave Harris Laura Hart Design
Joanne Hewitt
Advertising 01244 316629 support@thecitizenshipmagazine.org
Publisher
Community Initiatives Associates 0800 783 5805
Police Community Clubs of Great Britain Barry Jones MBE Po Box 160, Bideford, Devon, EX39 9DL 01237 471 615 www.thepolicecommunityclubs.org
© All rights reserved. No part of The Citizenship Magazine for Schools may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the editor. Copyright2009 ISSN Applied For.
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The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain NEWS
Community Education Awards 2011 Our efforts to promote PSHE and citizenship education have seen a major development when we held The Community Education Awards 2011. With 12 award categories covering issues such as bullying, internet safety and sports projects, and individual roles including PSHE/Citizenship teacher of the year, the awards recognised the remarkable work of schools up and down the country. We received hundreds of entries which is a great achievement in the first year of the awards, where the winners were presented with their prizes at a ceremony hosted by Esther Rantzen CBE at Chigwell Hall, Essex on 1 July. Boxing programmes We continue to lead the delivery of Olympic-style non-contact boxing. The ABAE Leader programme and the Police community Clubs of Great Britain’s Contender Am-box are delivering non-contact Olympic boxing to hundreds of youngsters who have never before been engaged in sport. The jewel in the crown for both programmes is their ability to signpost participants into sports clubs. We have revisited the programmes to ensure the
Barry Jones MBE
quality is not compromised and we have secured additional levels of insurance (Circa ÂŁ5m) for those who deliver and receive these innovative programmes. Education projects Our current flagship programme is No Respect: Cause and Effect; a high school project that addresses anti-social behaviour in an innovative way. We are also partners in the Inspire programme linked to the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games. Our educational book programme continues to expand, and we have seen month-on-month increases in sales of publications to literally hundreds of schools throughout the UK. Our latest publication in the Barney & Echo series is The Bad Apples which helps primary school children to tackle the issue of anti-social behaviour. For more information about the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain, please visit www.policecommunityclubs.org. Barry T Jones MBE Founder of the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
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AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
An evening of celebration was enjoyed by all those who attended the first ever Community Education Awards on July 1st.
AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
Held at Chigwell Hall, Essex and hosted by Esther Rantzen CBE; the ceremony recognised the commitment shown by individuals and schools in putting their school at the heart of their community. With 12 award categories, schools and learning mentors were recognised for their efforts across a wide range of subjects. In association with the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain, the awards were aimed at UK schools and pupil referral units that use education to encourage good citizenship and responsible decision-making. The judging panels consisted
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of representatives of the PCCGB, Community Initiatives Associates and the award sponsor as well as a brand ambassador and subject/ industry expert. Plans are already underway for The Community Education Awards 2012 which will have more award categories looking to reward more schools and individuals that have made a remarkable difference to both their children and the wider community. For more information and to watch videos from the ceremony visit www.communityeducationawards.co.uk
Categories and winners
FEATURE
The Community Initiatives Associates Money Management Project Award
Winner
Southwell Primary School “Southwell Supersavers”
Finalists • St John The Baptist Primary School, Mexborough, “St John’s Currency” • Blockley Church of England Primary, Gloucestershire, “Facts, Fun and Fish”
The Barney & Echo Action Against Bullying Project Award in association with Starshine Music
Winner
Kings Norton Primary School “ABC – Anti-Bullying Campaign”
Finalist St George’s Church of England Primary School, Derbyshire, “Action Against Bullying”
The Barry Jones MBE Award for Outstanding Pupil Referral Unit Mentor
Winner
Janette Robinson Essex Childrens Support Service
Finalist Julie Cresswell, Gloucester and Forest Pupil Referral Service
Winner
The Umbro Community Sports Project Award
Deans Primary School “Run To The Beat”
Finalists • Penryn College, Cornwall, “Police Community Sports Club” • Ifield School, Kent, “PE Enrichment Programme”
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Categories
AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
The Citizenship Magazine Award for Outstanding PSHE/Citizenship Teacher
Winner
AWARDS2011
Julie McCann Broadgreen Primary School
Finalists • Sarah Lord, Eastfield Primary School, Northampton • Jeanette Craig, Boston Spa School, West Yorkshire
In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
The Ecotricity Green Schools Project Award in association with Randstad Education
Winner
Ysgol Glan Gele “Peel Street Garden”
Finalists • Lainesmead Primary School, Swindon, “Community Allotments” • St Thomas Church of England Primary School, Stoke on Trent, “Nature Spaces” • Bursley County Primary School, Staffordshire, “Environment Project” • Bellahouston Academy, Glasgow, “Bella’s Edible Garden”
The Ecotricity Green Schools Eco-Innovation Award in association with Randstad Education
Winner
St Hubert’s Catholic Primary School “St Hubert’s Eco-Team and Network Project”
Finalists • Pannal Primary School, North Yorkshire, “Wind Turbine” • Foyle View School, Northern Ireland, “The Playtrail” • St John’s Primary School, Stoke on Trent, “Eco-Club”
Winner
The SCC Internet Safety Project Award
Burgate School and Sixth Form Centre “Cyber Bullying Awareness”
Finalist East Bridgwater Community School, Somerset, “Peer Mediators”
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and winners
FEATURE
AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
Winner
The IHG Inspiring Career Opportunity Award
Kingsmead School “Junction 16 – Post 16 Project” AWARDS2011
Finalist In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain Hillcrest School, East Sussex, “Creative Media”
The Allianz Insurance Action Against Anti-Social Behaviour Award in association with OLLY
Winner
Manor Park Primary School “School & Community Gym, ICT & Science Hub Project”
Finalists • Frankley Community High School, Birmingham, “Graffiti clean up 2 street art” • Dunfermline High School, Fife, “The Inclusion Unit” • Rawthorpe Junior School, Huddersfield, “Taking Action Towards Safety”
Winner
The Diageo Action Against Misuse of Alcohol Project Award
Dixons City Academy “Drugs Peer Education”
Finalist Hagley High School, Worcestershire, “Alcohol Awareness”
The Lord John Stevens Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement
Winner
Martin Tuck Fairfields Primary School
Finalists • Jason Smith, Manor Park Primary School, Birmingham • Alastair Mackay, Finaghy Primary School, Belfast • Jayne Walton, Overchurch Junior School, Wirral
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CITIZENSHIP Winner THE AWARDS
The Citizenship Magazine Award for Outstanding PSHE/Citizenship Teacher
Julie McCann
Broadgreen Primary School Liverpool Meet the winner of The Citizenship Magazine Award for Outstanding PSHE/Citizenship Teacher. Julie McCann received the prestigious accolade at The Community Education Awards where she was rewarded for her determination and dedication to PSHE/Citizenship. Julie has been recognised as an outstanding practitioner and lead teacher for PSHE in Liverpool. Innovative methods used by Julie include the ‘Philosophical Enquiry’ so that pupils and staff can develop skills to discuss and explore often controversial topics in a reasoned manner reaching clear and improved understandings. A community health and wellbeing group has seen health workers, police, charity workers and parents involved in the development of pupils roles as ‘peer educators’. These pupils have helped support other children in delivering lessons on topics such as smoking and substance abuse. Her dedication is evident in her clear planning and consideration of outcomes as shown in the development of an Action Plan for Enhanced Healthy Schools. Jane
consistently challenges prejudice and promotes equal opportunities. This often means tackling difficult subject matters such as drugs and mental health, delivering lessons in a way that makes them accessible and understandable to all. “Children in her class always gain huge confidence in their own abilities. She is particularly skilled at including children with special educational needs and the higher achieving pupils are also inspired and challenged to make excellent progress,” said Broadgreen Primary School headteacher, Carol Machell. Julie has gained Advanced Skills Teaching Status for PSHE following a rigorous assessment supported by the local authority. This means that the quality of lessons she delivers is outstanding and have an impact on the pupils in the classroom. A qualified trainer for Philosophy for Children with the national organisation SAPERE, Julie has trained teachers and support staff and other professionals within the Liverpool area as well as nationally and internationally. “Through inspirational teaching and sheer dedication and hard work she has encouraged them to
develop their own expertise and understanding,” added Carol. The introduction of Philosophy for Children into the school has become a key development to the school ethos and is now having an impact beyond the school itself. The development of confident and well-informed young people has also had a positive impact upon academic standards within the school in an area which has huge challenges in terms of deprivation and chronic disease and disability. Citizenship editor, Andrew Davies, said he was delighted to have supported an award that celebrates PSHE and citizenship teachers’ efforts. “We work very hard to form relationships with the teachers who read and contribute to the magazine and this was a brilliant opportunity to give something back. I’m delighted Julie has been able to gain some much deserved recognition for the incredible work she does,” he said. The Citizenship Magazine for Schools 11
Winner THE AWARDS
When pupils at an infant school in North Wales were walking through the local community they could see that one area in particular was in need of attention and took it upon them to transform an eyesore into a community landmark. “The School Council were on a learning walk through Abergele and were returning to school via Peel Street,” explained headteacher Julia Buckley Jones. “A piece of wasteland, in the middle of the estate the school
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The Ecotricity Green Schools Project Award
Ysgol Glan Gele “Peel Street Garden” Nominated by Julia Buckley Jones
FEATURE serves, was an eyesore. One of the residents had stopped nearby and remarked to the school council that it was a terrible mess and it was depressing when she looked out of her window to see so much rubbish.� The School Council met with the School Eco-Committee along with a school governor who was also
a resident on the estate. Following the meeting, the local authority and the housing association who own most of the houses on the estate were contacted. A school grant was then obtained in order to develop the land into a children’s garden. An action plan was coordinated with the town council and the housing association, Cartrefi Conwy. The school council then worked alongside eco-leader and school gardener Nick Freeman to source materials and begin growing shrubs and plants which would later be used in the garden. During this time the school were able to obtain recycled materials from a local gardening centre. Although it would be a children’s garden, the area would be available for elderly residents and the whole community to use. Funding was also received from community stakeholders ensuring the project was truly a whole community effort. The Citizenship Magazine for Schools 13
FEATURE
Pupils were given the task of designing and developing the garden and were also responsible for the garden being well maintained once opened. It was also agreed that a piece of artwork would be created to reflect all the stakeholders who made the garden possible and served as a centrepiece for the garden. The obelisk has four sides with each side representing an organisation that supported the project. One side has houses to represent Cartrefi Conwy (Housing Association). Another side represents the school and the children. The third side represents the town council and the town of Abergele and the final side represents the whole community’s commitment to recycling and sustainability. “The school council and ecocommittee submitted their designs to members of the resident’s panel and after discussions a plan was agreed. The children gained valuable skills during this process especially
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when most were under seven,” added Julia. The plans identified that it would take 10 months for the garden to be completed. Recycled materials were sourced and plants and shrubs were grown which would later feature in the garden. Hundreds of hours of class time were spent on the project. As part of the new Foundation Phase in Wales Knowledge and Understanding of the World and Personal and Social Development, the garden was seen as an ideal vehicle to develop both these subjects. An artist was then chosen to create the centrepiece by the school council who had decided on an obelisk. Pupils and staff volunteered their own time to the project which firstly saw the removal of three tonnes of soil from the wasteland. On completion the garden was opened by the mayor of Abergele at a special assembly attended by all those who had contributed to the project.
Each class have taken part in the development and completion of the project through clearing, planting and then maintaining the area. The children decided to name the finished garden ‘Gardd a Plant’ – The Children’s Garden. “We now have a beautiful garden that is used by old and young alike. The relationship between the young and elderly of Abergele has grown and we now invite them into the school for a roast lunch once a month,” commented Julia. “A piece of wasteland has been transformed from an eyesore to something beautiful that everyone is proud of.” The efforts made in completing such a fantastic project were rewarded when Ysgol Glan Gele received The Ecotricity Green Schools Project Award at the Community Education Awards. The first ever Community Education Awards was held at Chigwell Hall, Essex on July 1 and was presented by Esther Rantzen CBE. Julia Buckley Jones told Citizenship Magazine: “The whole school community in Abergele were thrilled that Ysgol Glan Gele Infants was awarded the Ecotricity Green Schools Project Award. This was a wonderful project that united many different stakeholders within the local community, the school, Town Council, Cartrefi Conwy and the residents. “The new garden is a credit to all those involved especially the chidlren of Ysgol Glan Gele who have planted and nurtured the flowers, plants and shrubs and have created several pieces of ceramic art which celebrate this intergenerational initiative.”
How to start your own
Eco-Club 16 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
LESSON IDEAS With a growing emphasis on the environment playing a part in a child’s education, many schools have established an Eco-Club as a way of providing an extra curricular activity based around this subject. These clubs can focus on a single project to develop an area or piece of land into a garden or ‘green space’ for community use. Alternatively they can look at encouraging recycling and sustainable development within their school. The Citizenship Magazine has looked at the steps which can be taken to establish an Eco-Club and the ways in which pupils can go on to help their school and also the wider community.
Getting Started Many children are aware already of the wide ranging environmental issues we all face. It’s important however, to find out which of those children want to be actively involved in environment projects. This can be gauged through a meeting held with the school pupil council. If your school doesn’t have a pupil council then a simple questionnaire should be able to identify those who wish to become involved in the club.
Establishing the Eco-Club Once the need for an Eco-Club has been found, children can then be appointed as members of the club under the supervision of a teacher or learning mentor. A good recommended starting point once the club is established is to produce a code of conduct or ‘Eco-Code’. An example of which can be found below:
Enjoy where we live Never drop litter Vandalising is out Improve our environment Recycle cans and paper Our earth is precious Nature is for everyone Make us think about the environment Every bit counts Now is the time Trust us with the world
Identifying a project The next stage of an Eco-Club more often than not is to identify a project which can be developed by members of the club. This project can be anything from the tidying up of the school through a litter pick to transforming an area from a derelict piece of land to a community garden facility. Project ideas: • Creating a school garden with pupils deciding what plants they would like to be grown in the garden. • Pupils can look to grow their own fruit and vegetables which can be used in the school kitchen and encourage sustainable development. • Eco-Club members can carry out litter picks at the school or in the community. • Energy saving can be encouraged by holding a walk to school week and designing posters.
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LESSON IDEAS
Involving the wider community
As well as developing an area within the school grounds, the club may look at providing a community facility in the local area. The pupils can look to involve parents in energy saving at home or even approach local businesses if they require funding for a project.
What can an Eco-Club achieve? As well as highlighting issues surrounding the environment and developing projects to improve both the school environment and children’s way of thinking about the environment, Eco-Clubs can look at achieving the following rewards:
Green Flag Status
Forest Schools Status
Britain in Bloom Awards
Apply for project awards at ceremonies such as The Community Education Awards. 18 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
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FEATURE
An Introduction to the Envir o
by Laura Hart
Recycling Climate Change
• Recycling is where waste products that would otherwise be thrown away are put to another use or remade into a new product.
• Climate Change put simply means the increase in the Earth’s average • In the average household, over half of the rubbish waste could be temperature. recycled. • Human emissions, such as • Paper, glass and tins are the Carbon Dioxide and ‘greenhouse gasses’, is one of the main causes most popular items that get recycled, although there are an of climate change. endless selection of items which could be recycled daily. • The more energy we use by burning fossil fuels such as coal, • If a tonne of paper was recycled, the more damage we do to the it would save 17 trees from being world around us. cut down for the same use. • If everyone lowered their own • You could run a TV for three emissions it could make a big hours with the energy saved from difference to the rate of climate recycling just one aluminium can. change. 20 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
en nm t
The environment involves a broad range of issues which can be hard to put across to students. However by simplifying the complex information and putting it into small sections, it can be a lot easier for children to understand. This can be used to help explain the basics, and for teachers to be able to break down the current issues surrounding the environment.
Ash clouds • Ash clouds are created from a volcanic eruption giving out clouds of ash and debris. • Ash clouds make it too dangerous for planes to fly through, meaning many flights and airports are effected for days at a time. • When an ash cloud is formed, it drifts across all the surrounding countries in the direction of the wind. • The carbon dioxide in the ash clouds can affect the Earths atmosphere depending on the amount of cloud.
Deforestation • Deforestation is where people destroy valuable areas of land for their own use. An example of this is where areas of a rainforest are ploughed to make way for new farmland. • As more deforestation happens it damages the land and surroundings, stopping new plants growing there in the future. • Animals and plants become extinct quicker as deforestation destroys the habitats of rare animals and kills the plants which have been there, in some cases, for thousands of years. • The main reason deforestation occurs is to make more land available, to use materials from the forest and for other forestry experiments. • In some tropical rainforests, over half of the original rainforest has now been destroyed.
Energy saving ideas
Environment agencies in the UK • Environmental agencies give advice on the best ways to help the environment, and also carry out campaigns to get the message across. • The Environment Agency is an executive non-departmental public body.
• Turning off appliances by the plug, and not just putting them on standby can save a lot of money as well as energy. • Energy saving light bulbs use less energy more slowly, this also reduces the amount of light bulbs that are need to be bought. • Having efficient wall insulation and double glazing at home can help trap heat in and keep the cold out, so less heating is needed. • Using solar panels to supply energy for some of the appliances in your house can decrease your energy use by half.
• Natural England is an independent public body whose purpose is to protect and improve England’s natural environment and encourage people to enjoy and get involved in their surroundings. • There are many smaller agencies also working to promote the environmental awareness throughout the UK.
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FEATURE World wide agencies • All over the world there are many organisations dedicated to protecting the environment. • The Environmental Investigation Agency is one of the main agencies for protecting the environment worldwide. • WWF is another agency that aims to protect the environment; this agency also looks at the effects on animals. • The Natural Resources Defense Council is another worldwide agency that aims to improve the environment.
Facts and figures
By turning down your heating by an unnoticeable one degree, the amount of fuel used is cut by 10%
If your attic is properly insulated it can reduce heat loss by up to 20%
Between 50 and 100 species of animals or plants become extinct everyday, this is mainly due to human influences on their habitats
The weight of the amount of rubbish thrown away in Britain is equal to 3.5million double-decker buses
In a week enough rubbish is created in the UK to fill Wembley stadium. Over half of this could easily be recycled
Sources: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/facts.htm and www.recycling-guide.org.uk/facts.html
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GROW YOUR OWN
How to
grow your own carrots Growing conditions Carrots grow best in a light, freely drained soil. To improve your crop, dig in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure in the previous season. Thoroughly rake the soil to produce a fine tilth (very fine, crumbly soil).
When to grow
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Early cultivars can be sown as soon as February or March. The main sowing season is from April to early July.
How to grow • By regular sowing of suitable types you can have fresh, frozen or stored carrots all year round. As with most vegetables, they are at their best when freshly picked. • Sow the small seeds 1cm deep, in rows 15cm - 30cm apart (spacing depends on type grown so check your packets). • Sow thinly to avoid thinning out, or thin to 5 - 7cm apart. To help with sowing carrot seeds mix them with a small amount of sand and sprinkle them into the drill (row). • Carrots seldom need watering but in severe droughts a good soak might be helpful. • Small ‘baby’ type cultivars are suitable for growing in containers.
Harvesting Harvest carrots as soon as they are large enough to use. Carefully use a fork if the soil is heavy. If you have a large carrot crop, these can be lifted in late autumn and stored in a box of slightly damp sand so that you can have carrots to use through the winter. But for the best flavour and texture store them in the soil with a thick covering of straw or cardboard to keep out frosts.
Pest and Disease Problems Carrot fly is the main pest that may attack your crop. Root aphids and slugs can also occasionally damage the roots.
(Sources: RHS Fruit & Vegetable Gardening by Michael Pollock & RHS Website ‘Grow Your Own Veg’ www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/crops/index.asp)
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For great deals on Barney and Echo citizenship resource books, visit our website www.barneyecho.co.uk
Q&A
AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
Winner
The Community Education Awards looked to honour schools that have worked hard to educate children on AWARDS2011 topics such as fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, recycling, carbon emissions and food production. Citizenship Magazine caught up with St Hubert’s Catholic Primary School headteacher, Clare McNally, after her school received The Ecotricity Green Schools Eco-Innovation Award in association with Randstad Education for their Eco-Team and Network Project. In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
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What do you feel is the key factor behind the success of your schools Eco-Team? The key factors are the enthusiasm and motivation of the children who have ideas and drive them forward promoting sustainability across the school. We also have a great team made up of staff from different areas (support staff, site manager and lunchtime supervisors) who work together using the different skills and talents they have to encourage the children. However, it is also the strong leadership and vision of our Eco-leader, Beth Marley, and the commitment of the senior management team and governors, which underpin everything else.
A responsibility and care for the planet; in our own local area through garden work, litter picking and worldwide through recycling, reducing energy use and animal sponsorship. All of these help pupils develop skills and attitudes that will make them responsible citizens as they move towards adult life. What are the main benefits of an Eco-Team?
The main benefits are harnessing and celebrating the diverse interests and talents of young people to improve their community in and out of school. It is a platform for pupils to express their concern about local and world issues and to try and make a difference. It How important a role can an gives an opportunity for pupils who Eco-Team play in promoting are not always the most academic positive citizenship? to instigate and lead events for the whole school and their families. They play an essential role in An Eco-Team enables pupils to this through applying to become educate themselves and each members of a very active team other about citizenship and in the school. This team works environmental issues. The school alongside other groups of children, benefits when experts and for example Friendship Buddies, volunteers from the community Technobuddies, Health and Safety lend their ideas and support to the Monitors and Liturgy leaders. They school, and children and staff can all promote responsibility and care learn from and work with members in three areas: of the community. A responsibility for ourselves; encouraging healthy lifestyles, What are the first steps to setting confidence and initiative. up an Eco-Team? A responsibility and care for others; in our own school and the community and through fundraising for local and international charities.
site manager - were approached because of their own personal interests. Other staff were invited to join to offer representation from the whole school. Children were invited to apply by outlining their reasons for joining. Two children from each class from Reception to Year 6 were chosen. This number has greatly increased over the years as so many other children have applied to join our team.
Our Eco-Team was set up initially as a result of an audit of learning styles in the school to provide an all-round education. Two coordinators - a teacher and the
What steps are currently being taken by the school and its pupils to achieve sustainable development? Last term we took part in the “Send My Sister To School” campaign, held a sponsored walk for Oxfam Water Week and the Key stage 2 Eco-buddies have organised and led a sports morning for all of Key stage 1. We took part in the Tipton Litter Watch’s “Big Spring Clean” in the community and the gardening club and classes are growing vegetables and herbs in the garden and planters that Year 5 put together. We held a free community lunch and performance of the Year 6 play for community members and grandparents at the end of term. Recycling of paper, plastic and glass is ongoing, as is our sponsorship of a child in India and a pod of dolphins in Scotland. What are the next projects to be carried out by the Eco-Team? Our new projects will be decided
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Q&A by the children when they meet at the beginning of the next academic year. However we would like to do some more work around the solar panels we will be having installed. We will also have our annual “Baggy Jumper Day” when we turn off the heating to save energy and dance outside to music to keep warm, and another community lunch and performance of the Key Stage 1 Nativity. What type of impact can a school Eco-Team have on the wider community? A school Eco-Team can have a great impact on the wider
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community through the ideas, enthusiasm and learning they bring to their homes and the ideas they then bring back. The school has benefited from the community sharing its skills and ideas with the children and staff. The Eco-Team have been able to showcase their ideas and work at conferences and support other schools through visits, tours of the school, workshops and networks involving 10 other schools in the local authority who have developed sustainability in their schools. The Eco-Team have also contributed to the local community by undertaking clean ups of the area and by campaigning for road safety measures including a zebra crossing and parking restriction.
Do you believe that the message from school Eco-Clubs/Teams is being heard outside of the school and is this resulting in a change in parent’s attitudes? We strongly believe the message from Eco-Clubs is being heard outside of the school and resulting in a change in parents’ attitudes. This is evident through the support of the parents and families for our events and campaigns, their involvement in activities and volunteering of their time. It seems to be that if something is important to the children, as the sustainability work is, then it is also important to the parents.
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Trying to educate children on the many threats to the environment is increasingly difficult with the various new challenges our planet faces in trying to preserve our environment.
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PUPILS’ CORNER With so much media attention regarding issues such as climate change and a greater emphasis on encouraging eco-awareness in children, teacher Dave Harris asked his year 5 pupils what they already knew about green issues and what they would like to see done more as they grew older. In our school we already have established an Eco-Club with a core set of values. Pupils have played an active role in the development of the Eco-Club and also taken steps to encourage recycling and sustainability in their homes. Having seen our school awarded Green Flag Status, I was keen to find out just how much pupils understood on the environment both in school and the wider community by asking some key questions. What do you do in school to help the environment? “In school we are very eco-friendly in everything we do. We recycle milk bottles, ink cartridges and in every class there are paper recycling bins,” answered one of the boys in my class. At our school we have an ecocouncil who are in charge of feeding the birds, planting new trees and plants and watering them. It’s clear this has an impact in encouraging positive citizenship. There are also more sustainable and far reaching measures in place according to the pupil. “We make sure no electricity is wasted by turning all lights off and computers each day. Each day we have a rota where children go
around school and pick up any litter,” he added. What do you do at home to protect the environment? It appears that the message we deliver in school is staying with children in their homes. “I recycle paper, plastic and other recyclable materials. I have a bin which we put them in. I have water tubs that I put outside so I can use it to water the plants. We save electricity by making sure at night we turn all the electrical stuff off and in the morning I walk to school to help the environment,” a pupil told me. There is also variety in the ways children look to save energy in their household. “We don’t waste water, when we have a drink we always turn the tap off and we never waste energy,” and “my house has also had solar panels put on the roof to collect energy,” were just two of the answers I was given.
has a grasp of what is required to achieve sustainability. The issue of litter and recycling is constantly at the forefront of children’s thinking regarding the environment. One child added: “I would really like to see people not throwing their litter on the floor.”
How important is the environment to you? Finally I asked pupils just how important they felt the environment was in their lives. The answers given to me proved that children have an awareness of not just their role in school protecting the environment, but also at home and in the wider community and I believe that through the knowledge children gain at this stage of their personal development, they can go on to act as positive citizens in the future. “The environment is very important because it is my future and we need to protect the planet so everyone can enjoy it,” commented one pupil. What would you like people Another pupil added: “The to do more to protect the environment? environment is really important to Children are now more than ever me because the children will not keen to give ideas on how to live in a clean world and we need protect the environment. The to protect our wonderful planet so success of our own Eco-Club is our world will not be full of rubbish due to the effort and innovative and pollution.” ways children wish to inform Finally a pupil told me: “To me people about issues effecting the environment is very important our environment. and I would love my garden to “I would like to see people have more grass than it has now recycling a lot more litter than they so more animals can come and are now so that rubbish tips are stay in my garden. If we don’t smaller. I think we should try to look after the environment it will use solar and wind power as they be horrible to live with litter. We don’t cause pollution,” was the need to look after it so our world view of a pupil who clearly already is safer.”
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The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain in partnership with Community Initiatives Associates helps to educate children about anti-social behaviour by delivering the Barney & Echo Citizenship Project to schools The Bad Apples: Barney Says Let’s Talk about Anti-Social Behaviour is the latest title in the range of Barney and Echo educational resources for schools.
The book was developed to help teachers and parents introduce primary school children to the topic of anti-social behaviour in an age-appropriate manner,
enabling pupils to understand both the nature of the problem and the damage it can cause. Its release follows new research that reveals just how important it is to develop new methods of tackling nuisance offending. It has been estimated that a staggering 3.5 million incidents of anti-social behaviour were reported to the police last year which, according to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, accounts for only a quarter of the true total. Aimed at pupils in key stage 1-2, The Bad Apples aims to counter the problem by influencing children at an early age. The book asks pupils to follow the adventures of Barney Eagle, Echo Squirrel and their friends Digsby, Spike and Dizzy as they encounter vandalism, intimidation and drunkenness in the normally peaceful surroundings of Treetop Forest. The mixture of puzzles and activities that punctuate the
narrative then offer them the chance to consider their own thoughts on the issues raised which they can then discuss with others in the group. In addition to the resource itself, all schools will benefit from The Bad Apples schools programme pack including colourful and informative posters, sets of lapel stickers to be worn by pupils, a dramatisation of the book and extra lesson plans to be found online on our dedicated website www.barneyecho.co.uk. There are also four other books in the series. The Magic Mirror addresses the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol in a fun but informative way by looking at how a group of friends cope with harmful substances. A Friendship Made tackles issues relating to bullying and vandalism, and examines what life would be like in a society where people have no respect for each other or the environment. Echo’s New Watch approaches the dangers of knife crime within the social environment of children and Caught in the Web tackles internet safety. These stories are intended to not only warn children about the dangers that they might be
confronted with in everyday life, but also to educate children and their carers on numerous subjects relating to the promotion of life skills. Included with each title is a play based upon the narrative of the book which pupils can use as part of their lesson plan, and posters which convey the message of each resource booklet. As part of promoting the citizenship programme, The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain and Community Initiatives Associates hold instructive conferences at which schools and organisations involved in sponsorship and support of the
programme can come together and share ideas. The latest conferences, which were held at venues across the north-west including Chester’s Guildhall and Liverpool Football Club, were a huge success with guest speakers from the police, a healthy schools co-ordinator, the ambulance service, fire service and interest groups. For more information please go to www.barneyecho.co.uk To see additional projects that The Police Community Clubs Great Britain are involved in visit www.policecommunityclubs.org
WaterAid transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. Since 1981 we have reached over 14 million people across 26 countries with safe water, and 9 million with sanitation since 2004. However, with 4,000 children dying every day from preventable water-related diseases, there is still much more to be done. Choosing WaterAid as your school’s charity of the year offers the chance for your students to learn about a major global issue with our great educational materials and resources, while making a real difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. Just £15 can provide one person with safe water, sanitation and hygiene education, so imagine the impact your school could have!
Call 020 7793 4989 or email schools@wateraid.org to request your free pack.
AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
For more information on the Community Education Awards 2011 winners and for pictures and highlights from the ceremony hosted by Esther Rantzen CBE, visit www.communityeducationawards.co.uk The Awards were a major success and plans are now already underway for
AWARDS2011
The Community Education Awards 2012
In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
We know that next years event will be even better with a wider range of awards categories opening up this prestigious occasion to every single school in the British Isles, enabling the schools and teachers to showcase their achievements at a ceremony dedicated to rewarding those who go that extra mile. Nominations will be accepted for next year’s awards categories from September 1st 2011 The list of award categories plus details of how to make a nomination will be available on The Awards website.
2012 ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen CBE and former sports minister Richard Caborn are proud to act as brand ambassadors for the Community Education Awards Esther Rantzen CBE has campaigned tirelessly for children's rights for more than 20 years. Having first found fame as the presenter of That's Life! - the BBC's long-running consumer programme she went on to set up ChildLine, the first 24-hour confidential helpline for children. After it was merged with the NSPCC she went on to serve as the charity's trustee and continues to work for child welfare.
THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AWARDS 2012 Award Categories Environment Health & Lifestyle Community Internet/Technology Finance Mentor/Individual Awards
We look forward to another night of celebration at
The Community Education Awards 2012
www.communityeducationawards.co.uk
CITIZENSHIP The Police Community Clubs
magazine for schools
Online www.thecitizenshipmagazine.co.uk There’s much more to our website than just the latest issue… News – Our news section provides you with all of the latest developments in PSHE and citizenship Twitter – Social media enthusiasts can follow the @Citizenship_Mag account and have updates sent straight to their own home page Blog – Our editor, Andrew Davies, offers advice, reflections and insights e-Subscription service – We offer a free subscription service that enables readers to receive a round-up of the latest news as well as links to new features and resources
Our website also makes it even easier for you to get in touch and contribute to Citizenship. We welcome anyone who wishes to provide feedback, suggestions or resource contributions. All methods of contact can be found on the site.
www.diageo.com
For great deals on Barney and Echo citizenship resource books, visit our website www.barneyecho.co.uk
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CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU [CRB] DISCLOSURE
The process made easy Are you a company, nursing home, local authority, teacher, nurse, child minder, sports coach, home tutor, volunteer or one of the thousands of people who need to obtain a CRB Disclosure? Whatever your role, if you or your staff/volunteers have unsupervised contact with children and young people or vulnerable adults – we can help. The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain is a registered body under the Criminal Records Bureau [CRB] and as such can provide all the documentation and support administration to secure Criminal Records Bureau [CRB] Disclosures for you. Our clients are single applicants through to multi-national companies and national governing bodies of sport and we are a leading provider in the UK. All our team are serving or retired police officers and provide a wealth of knowledge when risk-assessing Disclosures on your behalf. All profits from this service support community based projects for children and young people.
If you wish to engage the Police Clubs CRB Service or wish to discuss further: Please call on – 01237 471615 E-mail: barryjones@policecommunityclubs.org
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Providing opportunities Creating successful Communities
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