Greener Solihull School Awards

Damson Wood Nursery and Infant School Academy has embraced a variety of sustainability initiatives over the course of the year, engaging both students and the wider community.  

This included opening a new second-hand book swap house for pupils and families to recycle and swap the books they love, which was made by local company Balfour Beatty VINCI, working on behalf of HS2, from recycled construction materials.  

The school's eco warriors meet weekly and encourage their peers to follow the school's eco code, consider healthy eating, and get involved in activities such as the school's recycling scheme. Throughout the year, children also learnt about global issues such as plastic waste and how it affects our oceans, while they also received a talk from Solihull College nursing students on good health and wellbeing.  

As part of its work linking in with national events, the school took part in Walk to School Week and ran an artwork competition to creatively engage pupils in active travel. Solihull Council presented a banner of the winning design by a Year 1 pupil Elliot, which encourages children to ‘please walk to school’.  

Sarah Lardner, Sustainable Engagement Officer at Solihull Council, said: “The amount of creativity shown by the pupils is great. The idea of having an artwork competition to advocate for the Walk to School Week is fantastic for engaging the pupils and showing the local community the importance of this initiative. The children seem to really enjoy getting artistic throughout all the campaigns and workshops they are taking part in.” 

Monkspath’s eco group is at the heart of the school’s green activities, helping to raise awareness of sustainability through assemblies and workshops. It also showcases the school’s work on its eco notice board to inspire fellow students, and an eco-newsletter to parents to encourage families to continue sustainability efforts at home. 

Children learn about environmental issues and raise awareness by taking part in national events such as Walk to School Week to encourage sustainable travel to and from school, as well as participating in Solihull Council’s Fairtrade Trail in the town centre.  

The school has embedded Sustainable Development Goals throughout its curriculum, with a primary focus this year on developing its school environment. This included transforming the school's overgrown and unused eco garden into a thriving outdoor learning space, with children helping to design the garden with the help of its award sponsors Hill & Smith PLC.  

Throughout the year, children have also learnt about sustainable modes of transport, ocean plastic, and the effects of deforestation, raising awareness of global issues by writing to the Prime Minister. 

Sarah Lardner, Sustainable Engagement Officer at Solihull Council, said: “Monkspath school has clearly been very active in taking part in national initiatives which they believe are important, such as completing the Walk to School Week, writing poems for Fairtrade Fortnight, and being a part of the Big Recycle Hunt. It is fantastic to see the high levels of motivation both pupils and staff have towards being sustainable.” 

Activities play a big part at Valley Primary School and are led by children within the school’s eco team, ranging from litter picks, organising recycling, monitoring electricity use, and planting in the school gardens. Many children also take their eco-friendly habits beyond school. 

One of the events children took part in was a school-wide litter pick which helped to educate about the importance of not dropping litter and was even covered by the local newspaper. Some students extended the impact of the campaign by litter picking in their own communities. 

Children actively raise awareness about sustainability through posters and designed artwork to display around the school for Earth Day. This spread the message about energy usage and how using less electricity can help the planet.  

They also lead assemblies on topics like recycling, helping to support the school’s recycling scheme which sees every class have their own paper recycling bin and contribute to the school’s central pen recycling bin. 

As a result of its litter picks, recycling initiatives and biodiversity work which included tree planting, the school achieved The Bronze Award from the Woodland Trust's Green Tree School Award. 

Sarah Lardner, Sustainable Engagement Officer at Solihull Council, said: “Valley Primary School’s commitment to climate change and sustainability is evident through the time put into campaigns which have been utilised to enhance the curriculum and engage the whole school. Well done!”

Response from Annabel Matharu, Sustainable Travel Officer, Solihull Council

Educating children on the personal, wellbeing and environmental benefits of travelling sustainably to school is an important first step. It is equally important to educate parents/guardians as they are the ones who make the decisions on how their child travels to school.

Schools could also remove barriers to travelling sustainably, such as ensuring that there is storage for bikes, prioritising pedestrian access to school over cars, and assessing local crossings and pavements to help keep the walk to school as safe and easy as possible.

Response from Megan Baker, Community Engagement Officer, Solihull Council

Schools can get involved in litter picking in a number of ways – and the Council’s environmental initiative Love Solihull is here to help!

• We can loan litter picking kits stocked with everything from bag hoops, gloves, to high-vis vests. Kits are available at community hubs across the borough.
• Schools can network with community litter picking groups, which is an excellent way to join forces, share tips, and work together within your local community.
• Parents and guardians can register their child for the Love Solihull volunteer team. This is a great opportunity for students to stay involved outside of school hours, giving them a sense of ownership and pride in maintaining their community.
• Schools can also join national campaigns such as the Great British Spring Clean! They are a great way to get students engaged in their local environment, while being part of a larger movement across the UK.

Response from Grace, a geography student

One key practice that I aim to follow to help the environment is reduce, reuse and recycle. To reduce my waste, I try to avoid single-use plastics and plan my meals effectively. I aim to reuse by buying second-hand especially when looking for new clothes and donate my old ones. Finally, I recycle where possible, seeking out products with recyclable packaging and I also have a compost bin at home to limit my food waste going to landfill.

Response from Sarah Evans, Energy Officer, Solihull Council

A lot of energy use in schools comes from heating and using a smart meter can help to keep track of usage. The site manager could also ensure heating comes on/off in line with school opening/closing hours. It is also important to keep windows and doors closed when the heating is on to ensure heat and energy is not lost. Another idea is for children to join walks around the school to make sure lights and appliances are turned off at the end of the day. In the summer, could some lessons be conducted outside to save switching lights on in rooms?

Response from Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Planning, Solihull Council

We plan to make Council emissions net zero by 2030 and net zero across the borough by 2041. The Council cannot do this by itself, so it is up to everyone to do their bit. Walking to school, showering for a few minutes less and using less energy can all make a difference. Many people contributing a small bit amounts to a great deal.

Improving biodiversity is also important and we have created new parks. We are on track to plant 250,000 trees and every development will have 110% net gain. We want to see new-build homes that have the lowest possible carbon footprint, as seen in the low-carbon council houses in Faulkner Road and Kingshurst.

Response from Jo Ann Williams, Senior Community Engagement Officer, Solihull Council

Trees clean the air, support wildlife, and make our communities more beautiful. We work hard to show how they play a vital role in our environment through projects like Planting Our Future, events such as tree planting days, and by sharing information through social media and in-person talks.

Through Planting Our Future, we offer support to schools that want to grow trees and hedgerows around their boundaries. We’ll work with schools on anything from carrying out site assessments, creating a planting plan, to sourcing saplings. Schools can get involved by visiting the Planting Our Future page on Your Future Solihull.