While the eyes of the world have been on Egypt during the COP27 summit, pupils at a group of local schools have been focusing on the environment closer to home.
Children from schools in the Futura Learning Partnership met for an Eco Festival, looking at issues including climate education, river protection, energy use and food security. The event took place at Futura’s newest school, Two Rivers CofE Primary, which has just opened on the Hygge Park estate in east Keynsham.
The pupils listened to a talk from the Avon Rivers Trust before exploring the school’s grounds and the river that runs through them, and then developing an action plan.
The event was the first of what will be an annual event and saw the start of development of a Futura Eco Council, at which students can discuss sustainability and environmental issues and share details of actions they are taking in their schools.
Children aged six to eighteen from Bridge Farm, Chandag Infants, Chandag Juniors, IKB Academy, Saltford Primary School, Sir Bernard Lovell Academy, St John’s Primary, The Meadows, Two Rivers Primary, Wansdyke School and Wellsway School took part in the eco festival. The next step will be to involve the trust’s other primaries and secondaries and special schools.
Organiser Katie Pilkington, assistant headteacher at Two Rivers, said the event had been a great success. “It was lovely to welcome children from other schools in our trust to our wonderful new building and to see them working together and showing their passion for creating a better future.
“Two Rivers has been built to very high standards with excellent energy efficiency and a low impact on the environment. We are very lucky to have such a school and were proud to show off its amazing features,” she said.
Andrea Arlidge, chief executive of Futura Learning Partnership, added, “Two Rivers provides fantastic opportunities for children in our trust to learn about sustainability. The Futura Eco Council is an excellent development, bringing our young people together so they can take meaningful action on the green issues that are so important to them and to all of us.”