16 June 2011

Hurst Park School is one of the UK's greenest
A MOLESEY school is among the greenest in the country after it became one of just 13 to receive an award for its environmental work.

Hurst Park School on Hurst Road, West Molesey is the first school in Surrey to receive the Keep Britain Tidy Eco-School Ambassador Award. As The Walton and Weybridge Informer went to press, just thirteen schools in the UK had won the award.

The free global programme helps almost 40,000 schools to think and act sustainably. It assesses a schools sustainable credentials across nine areas; litter, energy, water, waste, transport, healthy living, schools grounds, biodiversity and global perspective.

Deputy head Lee Beresford has been co-ordinating Hurst Park's application for the award. He said the school was thrilled with the news.

He added: We have not been doing it long but we are at the stage where children in Year Six have lived and breathed it. It is embedded in the curriculum and in the children's everyday behaviour.

Mr Beresford said children carry out a range of green activities across the school.

He explained: The kids do lots of gardening and have built a greenhouse from recycled plastic bottles. The cook makes lunches using food they have grown and we also hand out the Golden Boot Award to classes each term. Its for the class that comes to school in the most environmentally friendly way.

Mr Beresford stressed that the school will not be resting on its laurels.

He said: The focus is now on sharing our expertise with others. We have won an award from the Department of Energy and Climate Change for cutting our carbon emissions by 31 per cent. We are also doing outreach work with other schools and I am running a network with teacher from other schools.

This is about children protecting the environment and growing up so it can be enjoyed by their children and their children's children. It's about being a more responsible citizen.
Dominic Raab MP visited the school on Friday to present them with their award.

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