At Franche, we are committed to ensuring every child's voice is heard as we shape their future and develop our school. Our Eco-Council is a group of elected students who represent their classmates, participate in meetings, gather feedback, and organise events. To learn more about the work our Eco-Council do, keep reading...
What is Eco Schools?
At Franche, our Eco-Council collaborates with Eco-Schools to help us become more environmentally friendly.
The Eco-Schools programme is an international initiative that inspires pupils to actively engage with environmental and sustainability issues. Pupils take on key roles in decision-making and contribute to efforts aimed at reducing their school's environmental impact.
Eco-Schools extends learning beyond the classroom, fostering responsible citizenship both at home and within the wider community.
Eco at Franche
At Franche Community Primary School, we elect a new Eco Council team each year, with one representative from each class to ensure all age groups are represented. The Eco Council meets regularly to collaborate and make a positive impact! Children have the opportunity to apply for the Eco Council once a year. To apply, they must complete a form explaining why they believe they are suited for the role and how they can contribute to making a difference. Eco Council members are responsible for sharing their projects, ideas, and learnings with their class, encouraging others to make eco-friendly choices. This role also helps reinforce our Franche values. Throughout the year, each year group explores a variety of environmental issues as part of their topic work. These subjects range from climate change and sustainability to biodiversity and pollution, allowing students to engage with real-world challenges. By incorporating these topics into their lessons, students develop a deeper understanding of the importance of protecting our planet. They also learn about practical solutions and how they can contribute to a more sustainable future. This ongoing focus helps to foster a sense of environmental responsibility across all year groups.
There are many ways for everyone to get involved, from school grounds days to class projects and events throughout the year.
If you're feeling inspired to make a difference, come and talk to us at school! Mrs. Muddiman and Miss Lenton would love to hear your ideas!
Eco Schools Green flag award
At Franche, we are currently working towards the Eco-Schools green flag award. At the beginning of the year, the Eco Council carried out an environmental review to identify which of the ten key areas we need to focus on for improvement. You can find our review here.
Based on the results, the Eco Council selected three main topics to focus on this year: Biodiversity, Energy and Waste.
Franche Community School’s Eco Code 2024
The Eco-Council wrote our school's mission statement. It outlines our school’s commitment to becoming a greener, more environmentally-friendly place.
Here are just some examples of our past and current achievements:
- We built a Butterfly, Bees and Bugs garden to attract more wild-life
- We planted 24 trees on our school grounds
- We recycled over 20000 batteries and 500 pens
- We raised money for climate change book for our library
- We recycled over 1,000 plastic lids and used them to create a stunning plastic art masterpiece, aimed at raising awareness of the impact of plastic waste on our environment
- We were the first school in Worcestershire to sign up to the ‘Adopt a Street’ program, a litter picking initiative to reduce litter within the community. Councillor Ben Brookes visited us in school to thank and congratulate us.
- We successfully secured a £500 grant to purchase eco-friendly outdoor toys and equipment for our early years children.
- Gardening club with volunteer parents. This provides a wonderful opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in growing and caring for plants.
- We have successfully established Earth Day as an annual school event, providing all students with the opportunity to participate in eco-friendly activities.
- Every November, we actively participate in "Cut Your Carbon" month, a dedicated initiative aimed at encouraging our community to adopt more eco-friendly practices at home.