Planet Earth Celebrated in Week of Eco Activities

World Earth Day on Monday 22 April, and the whole of Eco Week, has seen pupils and staff from across the Bolton School Foundation join together to reflect, make changes and understand more about sustainability and the impact of climate change.

In Beech House, the Infant Department, children learnt about the different ways we can help the Earth before litter picking, bug hunts, saving sea creatures, devising posters to encourage people to save the oceans and creating their own earths!

Year 2 children read Tidy by Emily Gravett and wrote letters to the main character, pleading with him to stop tidying the forest so much. From Pre-School to Year 2, children read the book Dear Earth written by Isobel Otter. The story encouraged children to appreciate the wonders of the natural world and helped them to consider the role they play in environmental care.

Throughout the week, there were several parental engagements sessions, where visitors were encouraged to read corridor displays, full of important messages written by children to protect our ‘Dear Earth!’ Year 1 groups had lots of fun with their parents after creating beautiful crafts that reinforced the importance of protecting our seas, oceans and polar regions. The Reception Class enjoyed their very first Forest School session, exploring the Leverhulme Woods and immersing themselves in nature.

Nursery and EYFS children enjoyed exploring recycling and how we can repurpose rubbish to make art. Children and parents worked collaboratively to make a bug hotel and write their own pledges, promising to help care for our planet. In Pre-School, pupils had fun sharing what they had learnt and, in the Nursery, children joined in by using blue and green paint to make their own creations.

In the Boys’ Division, Climate Club members enjoyed a fascinating documentary about the members of the Citizens Assembly representing the UK population to influence climate policy. Students also learnt about environmental awareness through a special eco assembly, which focused on how attitudes and actions have changed over the past 40 years. There were further film screenings, litter picks, Form time quizzes, a virtual reality event and Year 7 forms were involved in activities around the school grounds during form times. Batteries were also brought into school for recycling. Each day during Eco Week, the winners and runners-up of the Bolton School Earthshot competition were announced. The Boys’ Division continues to support the planet through meat-free meals, green energy, recycling and rewilding.

In the Girls’ Division, there were litter picks, something which will become a monthly enterprise, and Year 10 pupils worked on a sustainable fashion project with an external consultant before displaying  their work. Mrs Dalziel-Job launched an Eco Bricks campaign in assembly, which will run for the next 2 weeks as school endeavours to create eco bricks out of recycled plastic. In a special eco assembly, eight girls talked about Earth Day, Junior Geography Club initiatives and the many different ways to get involved. Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 12 made eco-trees and created their own individual eco pledges written on leaves.

Year 6 Junior Girls raised an Eco flag during their residential visit to Patterdale Hall and flags also flew in the Centre Quad of the School.