A note from Mrs Kaur, Kendrick School’s Eco-Coordinator

I’m very pleased to announce that we have won the International Eco-Schools Award with MERIT.

I am so proud that I had the privilege of leading the Eco committee to success when looking back and reflecting on how many hours it has taken of meetings, collating meeting minutes, actioning tasks, taking pictures, emails, making groups, writing articles for the website, encouraging students, creating google forms, analysing results, chasing up tasks, collecting recycling, dropping it at various places, typing up evidence and filling out quite a long application form for submission which has all enabled us to get this certification.

Debbie Bale, from Hubba (a local waste management company) came to present the award yesterday to our Eco committee members. We have also been sent a green flag! Over the past year, the Eco committee has organised many events which have led to an improved sustainability equation around the school, mainly the Grand clothes swap, Recycling competition, Biodiversity awareness activities and Cut your carbon campaign. Well done to Anvi, Pratyusha, Lucy, Aanya, Maeve, Erin, Liyana, Adhya, Vijithaa, Sachi, Allegra, Michelle, Jessica, Rose-anna, Daya, Lav and Riti. Thanks to all these Eco-warriors who have worked very hard throughout the year.

Future plans involve continuing the actions we took this year and maintaining this momentum. If parents or governors would like to get involved in a sustainability initiative or have an idea to promote awareness about sustainability or organising events, please email me at pkaur@kendrick.reading.sch.uk

Kendrick School’s Eco-Committee was set up in 2017, as it is important to us that we are conscious of the impact our school has on the area around us and the wider world. The committee consists of Mrs Kaur, the eco-coordinator and enthusiastic Eco-warriors from across-year groups.

Over the last four years, since COVID, we have had a huge change in recycling and reduction of general waste. Every year we have an action plan and the Eco-Committee brings these matters before the students and raises them with school leadership, in the hope that students will take this initiative to heart and think about the impact they are having while in school and elsewhere. The Eco-committee uses Google forms for student voice and opinions and sends out information to make everyone aware of the issues and the link to our Action Plan.

At Kendrick, we want to do the best we can to have a positive impact. If you have ideas or contacts that you think would be of use in helping Kendrick to be more Eco-friendly, we’d love to hear from you. Please support us through discussing these matters with your child.

This year the Eco Committee took part in the Eco-schools program and did a survey on the areas we would like to focus on.  The results of the survey were:

1.  Biodiversity

2.  Energy

3.  Waste

We worked on the three topics throughout the year and won the award with merit.