TRY 5 Staycations

Reach the best in the west A uent, active and infl uential and just a call away

Bristol Life team 01225 475800

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4=@=:A 07<-4; 1t¼s cold out there. ;), is making you, well, sad. What you need is a soothing staycation in a luxurious West +ountry hotel. <here are five top suggestions below · we even found one hotel named *ristol°

1ARTIST RESIDENCE Where’s it to, then? 8enbance What’s the style and vibe? A charmingly arty and eccentric, rustic-chic town house set in a winding back lane in shipshape 8enbance. What can we do in the area? 4and¼s -nd, <he <ate, ;t 1ves, ;t 5ichael¼s 5ount, <he 5inack <heatre and some of +ornwall¼s best beaches are all a short motor away. What’s on the menu? <he relaxed +ornish *arn smokehouse serves a menu created from locally sourced produce, focusing on fresh +ornish meat and fish. Can we bring the kids and/or the dog? Yep; there¼s a selection of dog-friendly rooms, and the whole hotel is child- friendly. What’s the cost? :ooms range from Š! for room only. www.artistresidence.co.uk

2HOTEL BRISTOL Where’s it to, then? Newquay What’s the style and vibe? A modern-classic establishment with panoramic sea views over <olcarne *each. <he )rt ,eco style includes a newly renovated bar area, evocative of »s 8aris. What can we do in the area? As well as the seven town beaches, the hotel is an ideal Rumpingoff point to explore the best of +ornwall, from the /ardens of 0eligan to the -den 8roRect. What’s on the menu? <he rebranded cocktail bar serves drinks and informal food in a space of »sleek and anti-traditional elegance¼; there¼s modern classic dining in the restaurant .

Can we bring the kids and/or the dog? Both will be treated like royalty. What’s the cost? .rom Š a night. www.hotelbristol.co.uk

3MOONFLEET MANOR Where’s it to, then? Chesil Beach What’s the style and vibe? A great, big, friendly /eorgian manor house, behind the beach on the dramatic 2urassic +oast. What can we do in the area? Head to Weymouth or Lyme Regis beaches to ply rock pools and find fossils · the staff have all the inside info on where to find the best trilobites. What’s on the menu? From sharing platters to the 5oonÆeet *urger, the menus draw on fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Can we bring the kids and/or the dog? 6ot merely tolerated, but positively welcomed. What’s the cost? £109-£509 per night b&b ___.UoonÆMM\UanorPo\Ml.Ko.uk

4MULLION COVE Where’s it to, then? Well, Mullion Cove What’s the style and vibe? A traditional historic hotel, built in 1 ! on a clifftop with dramatic views across the Atlantic, with a brandnew multi-million pound spa. What can we do in the area? Its location on the ;outh West +oast 8ath makes it perfect for walkers; the 8oldark mine and many of the beaches used in the series are a short drive away. What’s on the menu? 0ead chef 2ames 0eath is inspired by the bounties of the local area, and

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his daily changing menus have an emphasis on locally caught fish and seafood. Can we bring the kids and/or the dog? Both the hotel and lovely new apartments nearby are perfect for both. What’s the cost? .rom Š1-Š1  per room. www.mullion-cove.co.uk

5FOWEY HALL Where’s it to, then? Unsurprisingly, Fowey What’s the style and vibe? A relaxed coastal mansion with beautiful sea views. What can we do in the area? Go kayaking, canoeing or stand-up paddle-boarding; take boat trips, go crabbing, rock-pooling, sandcastlebuilding or clifftop-walking; visit the -den 8roRect. What’s on the menu? Classic, simple dishes, served in a relaxed manner. Can we bring the kids and/or the dog? Both! What’s the cost? .rom Š1! - Š!. n www.foweyhallhotel.co.uk

GENERATION GREEN “I want you to act as if our house is on fire, because it isº

By Meg Coast

Greta <hunberg, Rust 16 when she delivered those powerful lines at the 1! World -conomic .orum, is a testament to the fact that kids nowadays have a lot on their plates. We all recall the struggle of scraping passable grades, making friends and saving enough pocket money to buy the next shiny new thing; but then throw in a climate crisis, and you¼ve got a generation with some heavy stuff on their shoulders.

*ut far from buckling under the pressure, the kids have proven their ability to take the wheel and become a maRor driving force for environmental activism, leaving *aby *oomers and /en @ far behind. We were curious to know what schools are doing to nurture these eco-warriors of the future, and approached some of the best in *ristol for their take on /eneration /reen. BADMINTON SCHOOL Independent, boarding and day school for girls aged 3 to 18 years in Westbury-on-Trym Do you consider yourself to be a ‘green’ school? We are constantly working to become a greener school. ;tudents are encouraging multiple initiatives, from weighing and monitoring food waste to reach ambitious reduction targets, through to encouraging teachers to put resources online to reduce printing. 7ur -nvironment +ommittee members have been involved in the *ristol -ducation 8artnership +limate +hange 8roRect this year, looking at ways to become a more energy eٻcient and sustainable school. Has the ‘Greta Effect’ had an influence on your students? /reta has definitely raised the profile of issues around climate change and sustainability. /reta¼s impact has highlighted to students the difference an individual can make, even if you are still at school. Do your students have the opportunity to take part in any outdoor or vocational pursuits to engage them with nature? .rom gardening club and forest school to ,uke of -dinburgh and our »8lanet -arth¼ art exhibition this term, we are encouraging our students to understand and engage with nature. )s part of our »inspiring evenings¼ lecture, the former **+ ;cience  <echnology reporter, <racey 4ogan, visited us in 2anuary. 0er message to the girls was powerful" ¹when you think you¼re too small to make a difference, remember the last night you spent in a room with a mosYuito.º www.badmintonschool.co.uk BRISTOL STEINER SCHOOL Independent day school for girls and boys aged 3 to 11 Do you consider yourself to be a ‘green’ school?

.rom our school premises in the leafy suburbs of :edland, we promote socially conscious values that enable our children to appreciate the natural environment. We believe that if we teach children how to appreciate, respect and enRoy the environment at a young age then it will embed itself as part of their lifestyle.

7ur pupils take their food waste out to the composter in our extensive garden, later to be used on the vegetable patches that the pupils tend as part of their science classes. We source supplies from sustainable businesses and when items break they are repaired for reuse. Do your students have the opportunity to engage in any outdoor pursuits to engage them with nature? -xperiential learning is a cornerstone of our approach to teaching. ;cientific skills are taught in a variety of different ways. )ctivities such as growing vegetables and fruits in our own garden, understanding the impact of seasons on plant growth and measuring air Yuality enable our pupils to absorb knowledge through experiential learning. .orest school excursions provide our pupils with the life skills that allow them to understand where the wood that they use at woodworking class originates from. www.bristolsteinerschool.org “When you think you’re too small to make a LiٺMrMnKMrMUMUJMr\PM last night you spent in a room with a mosquito” CLOCKWISE: Tockington Manor School digging the Great Outdoors, Cotham School leading the scene and keeping it green, forest forays at Clifton College

CLIFTON COLLEGE Co-educational independent school in Clifton, for pupils aged 3-18 Do you consider yourself to be a ‘green’ school? Do you have further plans for improvement? We are committed as a school to developing green initiatives across a variety of areas. We have a number of recycling schemes across the upper and preparatory schools, for example, including initiatives which are run by students. We have also made a number of changes recently in terms of food use, and reducing single-use plastics, as well as a reduction in minibus and coach usage by way of a reorganisation of our programme. There is plenty more to do but we are making positive progress.

Has the ‘Greta Effect’ had an influence on your students, and if so how? Our students are really passionate about change and climate activism and the /reta -ffect has increased their motivation and activity. 7ur student body is quite proactive about climate issues generally and as part of this, there is an active student council who meet regularly and raise environmental concerns. We also have a Clifton Environmental )ction /roup, as part of the +lifton in the +ommunity programme.

How does your school prepare its students for life outside the classroom? Preparing students for life beyond the classroom is an important part of the education we offer. We aim to build our students¼ resilience, confidence and strength of character through a supportive and nurturing school environment, with a strong pastoral network provided

“Eco-issues are of great concern to us all”

by our house system. We also look to challenge students, and enable them to build responsibility, self-esteem and leadership skills through a wide range of co-curricular activities, such as the Business Enterprise Programme, the Outdoor Pursuits Programme, the Combined Cadet Force, and Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. www.cliftoncollege.com

COTHAM SCHOOL State secondary school in Cotham Do you consider yourself to be a ‘green’ school? We have many eco-centred projects in school which were planned and implemented when we attended the Bristol Education Partnership Climate Challenge event. These have included a friendly garden, the collection and recycling of crisp packets and a newly installed collection point for unwanted clothes at the front of our school for the community to use. We have also put in place the reduction of single-use plastic.

Has the ‘Greta Effect’ had an influence on your students? )ll students and staff at +otham are aware of /reta and the impact she is making, ensuring people are talking and raising awareness of the issues surrounding the environment that we live in, discussing our carbon footprint and how we can take individual and collective responsibility to make changes that will make a difference.

The student voice is strong and consistent on the need to do this and to act now. Through our student council the student body is considering a number of ways that we can take responsibility and play our part to be more environmentally aware.

Wearing red but thinking green at Red Maids High

Is eco-anxiety prevalent among your students? Our students are conscious of the changing environment and the world in which they live. They are concerned about the future in many ways; ecological disaster and the natural environment is another worry for them in a world that is changing on a daily basis.

As a school, we are very aware of the mental health and well-being of all our students. We have regular drop-in sessions with our wellbeing team. Tutor time and assemblies are times where issues are raised and professionals regularly visit the school to talk to our students about these issues. A weekly positivity and wellbeing session is run in our school library for all students, and anyone that wishes to can attend. www.cotham.bristol.sch.uk

REDMAIDS HIGH –An independent School in Bristol for girls aged 4-18 Do you consider yourself to be a ‘green’ school? Our attention to sustainability and the environment has increased substantially in the past few years: we have sixth form environment captains who lead ‘green reps’ in each year group; we reduce energy wastage wherever we can; we facilitate recycling with boxes and bins in almost every classroom across our schools; we have switched to meatfree each Monday lunchtime; students run an ‘eco-thrift’ clothes swap shop; and we tend our beautiful 12-acre grounds with self-generated wood chippings and mulch.

We are planning to install beehives onto our site and have already fitted bird and bat boxes to attract more wildlife. We also want to build in electric vehicle charging points across our three main sites including our new sports ground near Cribbs Causeway. We already hold the bronze Eco-Schools award and are now working towards the silver.

Is ‘eco-anxiety’ prevalent among your students? Eco-issues are of great concern to us all, and particularly for the younger generation. Our aim is to ensure they are properly educated about the causes and measures that are needed to save the planet. We supported the global day of action in September by asking everyone to adopt a healthier way of travelling to school, and invited an Extinction Rebellion speaker to our whole school assembly to give a clear explanation of the scientific facts behind climate change.

There have been calls for a GCSE in natural history to be added to the syllabus. What’s your stance on this? The proposals for a natural history GCSE are timely and should be of great interest to schools who are looking to keep their curriculum broad, balanced and relevant. We seeincreasing numbers of students choosing GCSE and A Level geography, andbelieve this is in part due to heightened awareness of the fragility of our planet. It is crucial we harness the interest and passion of our students to ensure that we protect it for future generations. www.redmaidshigh.co.uk

“It is crucial we harness the interest and passion of our students to ensure that we protect it for future generations”

TOCKINGTON MANOR SCHOOL An independent prep school, for children aged 2 to 13 years Do you consider yourself to be a ‘green’ school? Do you have further plans for improvement? Green activities are integrated into the existing curricula in science, art, humanities, mathematics, and languages. Pupils can undertake study of themes such as energy, water, forests, toxic pollution, and waste. The school is presently taking part in the Wastebuster Plastic Challenge 2020 which gives schools the chance to teach children about plastic waste, and how they can recycle plastics more easily and care for the environment.

Has the ‘Greta Effect’ had an influence on your students, and if so how? The children know about Greta and some children have been researching her. We encourage our children to think about the wider world as well as their own. Many of our pupils have taken this thinking further and have chosen to adopt animals, and one pupil was rewarded with a Blue Peter badge for her letter about how to protect the environment. Interestingly, no one has suggested a school strike!

Do your students have the opportunity to engage in any outdoor or vocational pursuits that deepen their understanding of nature? Understanding the environment is an integral part of our school and this is taught from nursery upwards. Children in our nursery learn about the importance of nature by growing fresh vegetables in their own kitchen garden. They plant seeds, tend to their plants, learn about the importance of watering, how birdsinsects affect crops and then get to pick and eat what they’ve grown. n www.tockingtonmanorschool.com