2013

Okehampton Primary School and Foundation Unit

Totally Powered Up

Wales & West

630 Pupils Involved
  • Regional Winner 2013
  • Regional Champion 2013

Eco Man Reborn

All of the children at the school were involved in learning about how we need to reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy in order to avoid climate change.  They held a campaign to reduce energy use and monitored the impacts of their campaign on the school’s energy use in subsequent weeks. Classes competed in a Switch Off Fortnight to save as much energy as possible and the classes making biggest savings were given awards.  ’Eco Man’ visited the school to tell the children about how they could save energy and the children put up displays around the school explaining how they could reduce energy use.  The children saw demonstrations of an electric car and an electric scooter as examples of cleaner forms of transport.  The school now provides 30% of its energy through solar panels fitted on the roof.  The children learned a great deal from their work, achieved real benefits and had a lot of fun! 

Frances Rickwood, the school’s Eco Schools Co-ordinator said “Taking part in the Total Green School Awards has helped us to think creatively and imaginatively about how we deliver and interpret sustainable issues in school.  The children have loved helping put together our entry.”

YPTE Director, Peter Littlewood, said “This is just what we want to see in the Total Green School Awards – a fantastic amount of learning, combined with practical application of that new knowledge to benefit the environment.  The entire school has been infused with an ethos of saving energy whenever possible so as to minimise environmental impact.  This kind of learning filters through to the children’s families and will hopefully affect some of their decision making as adults to the benefit of the environment. ”