Poplar Farm pupils grow into their Green Tree Schools Award

26th November 2019

Reception and Year 1 pupils at Poplar Farm School have been working hard towards their Green Tree Schools Award, an initiative from The Woodland Trust, as they take their learning outdoors.

The whole school topic for this term is The Enchanted Woodlands and is all about trees. Year 1 were visited by The Woodland Trust, who recently provided free trees to be planted around the field of the school. They delivered a special assembly on the benefits of learning and playing outdoors before pupils dressed their current trees in poppies for Remembrance Day.

In our Reception classes, pupils are creating their own Tree Champions where they are using materials from outdoors to draw and paint what they like doing outside.

School staff were visited by Kylie Karr from Learning through Landscapes, who provided a training session on how to take lessons outdoors. Numerous resources for exciting activities were explored and the school will be sharing these initiatives with parents and carers via their social media pages over the next fortnight.

Recycling has also become a big focus at the school. Rebecca McGettigan, who is leading the Green Tree Schools Award project, explained: “Recycling is a simple way for our pupils to have a positive impact on the planet. The children are learning that as well as reducing the amount of rubbish that goes in to landfill, recycling saves energy and helps conserve natural resources like trees and metal.”

During the Green Tree Schools Award, schools are rewarded for doing environmental projects such as tree planting, reducing CO2 emissions and visiting woods. You collect points for each activity you complete, progressing through bronze, silver and gold levels up to the prestigious platinum award.

The Green Tree Schools Award encourages outdoor learning and inspires pupils about trees, woods and wildlife by taking part in fun, practical projects whilst helping the environment and improving your grounds.