Pupils at Westbourne House School have taken steps to reduce the amount of plastic that is used at the school.
The school’s Eco-Council, which is made up of children from Reception, Year 1 and 2, came up with a number of ideas to combat the impact of plastics, resulting in the school’s first plastic-free picnic for children from our nursery up to Year 6.
Pupils were excited by the plastic-free challenge and it was clear that a lot of thought and discussion had gone into their picnic choices. They reported that they had been surprised at how many food items they normally buy are wrapped in single use plastic, and, with the help of their parents, they came up with creative and novel ideas such as paper packages tied up with string, reused packaging, and home-made beeswax wraps.
In the Prep School, Year 3 and 4 children were given a book of ‘100 Eco Things To Do Before I’m Nine and Three Quarters’ by Year 3 teacher Mrs Anderson. Many found there were already a few eco challenges they could tick off, plus they were given a scrap book so they can add in photos, drawings and information about how they are working towards a more sustainable life.
Eager to get started on their tasks, they took a trip to West Wittering this week to clean up the beach. With the help of National Trust volunteers, the children sifted through sand and found all sorts of plastics and other rubbish.
Mrs Anderson said: “We can empower our children to create the world they want to live in by equipping them with skills, developing passions and encouraging creativity. We want them to understand that they can have an impact and influence as individuals, even at this young age.”