ECO at AFMS

Pupils from across the year groups, but particularly Year 5, are given opportunities to develop their gardening skills, growing a range of fruit, vegetables and flowers. Pupils get to taste their handiwork, but spare produce goes to the school kitchens where staff incorporate it into the meals which they serve the children, so promoting a fresh and healthy diet.

We also have a fruit garden which is maintained by KS3 pupils. This is slowly becoming established and will soon crop a variety of fruits such as rhubarb, black currents, gooseberries, raspberries, plums, apples and pears annually. This garden is also utilised by the science department when teaching about plant reproduction.

The idea of sustainability is a core theme across the geography curriculum, and is also a theme that is interwoven across most subjects within the curriculum such as Science, Design Technology, Art etc.

Throughout the whole school, paper recycling is central to everyday life. ‘Switch off fornight’ and ‘fairtrade fortnight’ are also celebrated and pupils participate in various activities within all of these areas.

Whenever suitable opportunities arise, pupils are entered in competitions which promote the idea of environment and sustainability. Recently, pupils entered an art competition whereby they were taught how 'energy on the farm’ could be environmentally friendly and sustainable within their geography lessons and transferred their knowledge to art lessons to design a poster. The school achieved a lot of success having winners, and placed pupils, in a range of age groups across the school.

Pupils who took a keen interest in sustainable business have taken part in career days and a university visit, which promoted the idea of sustainability.  They got to attend a number of workshops centred around the idea of sustainable business, as well as meeting employees from current businesses which lead the way in sustainability.

At Aston Fields Middle School, we have a very strong eco group who are committed and enthusiastic.