Eco - Heroes

Pyrcroft Grange Primary School Pupils Celebrate Renewal of Their Eco‑Schools Green Flag

This academic year, pupils at Pyrcroft Grange have continued to demonstrate outstanding leadership in championing sustainability and inspiring meaningful environmental action across their school and wider community. Their passion, creativity and commitment to creating positive environmental impact have once again been recognised with the award of Eco‑Schools Green Flag with Distinction accreditation.

Established in 1994, the Eco‑Schools programme has spent more than 30 years inspiring and empowering young people to become environmental leaders. Today, Eco‑Schools Green Flag accreditation is awarded in more than 100 countries, reflecting the programme’s global impact. In England alone, it reaches over one million young people each year, supporting them to take meaningful action and drive positive change for our planet.

Since Pyrcroft Grange first began its pupil‑led sustainability journey in 2021 pupils have led a range of impactful projects, including improving awareness of transport around our school, reducing waste, and making positive energy choices linked to previous Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditations with both Merit and Distinction in 2024 and 2025.

This year, pupils built on their previous achievements by focusing their efforts on three key areas: Biodiversity, Transport and Water. Working collaboratively, they developed a detailed year‑long Action Plan to address these priorities. Their biggest success included helping to install the Pyrcroft Green Wall. The Eco Heroes were responsible for monitoring the wall and caring for it, helping to increase biodiversity while inspiring others to protect and value the natural world. Each activity was thoughtfully planned to support their school’s sustainability journey.

Speaking about their achievements, Ofsted recognised that “All children [are] consistent with understanding of sustainability – this is above what is usually typical.” Their work is helping to create a greener future for everyone in our school environment.

Eco-Schools England Manager, Adam Flint, said: "Young people want to create meaningful change, and they have shown they are more than capable of doing so. Their efforts deserve recognition and should act as inspiration to us all. Our planet is already feeling the effects of climate change, pollution and waste, but young people across England have shown we do not have to accept this, a more sustainable future is possible.”

To learn more about the Eco-Schools programme and accreditation, head to www.eco-schools.org.uk.

Each class throughout the school has two Eco Heroes who are responsible for helping to monitor the energy usage and recycling within their classrooms. The Eco Heroes meet at least once a half term to feedback and discuss the school’s environmental performance. We hope to continue, and build upon, this wonderful work with a new Eco-Hero Committee this academic year.

Our Eco Heroes
Year 1		Year 2
Year 3		Year 4
Year 5		Year 6
ASD Centre

About Eco-Schools

Eco-Schools is a global programme engaging millions of children across 64 different countries, making it the largest environmental schools programme in the world.

The programme is pupil-led and encourages whole school involvement. It also encourages closer links between schools and their communities. It offers many benefits for individual pupils, developing their knowledge and skills and improving their well-being. There are also many benefits for schools, with an added bonus of saving money.

How It Works

The Eco-Schools Programme follows a very simple international Seven Step process that forms the criteria for the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. Along the way, your school can achieve a Bronze Award, followed by a Silver Award, through self assessment. This provides recognition of the work your pupils have done towards their Eco-Schools Green Flag.

The Eco-Schools Programme is pupil-led; involves hands-on, real-world learning and gets the whole school and the wider community involved in exciting environmental projects. The programme covers ten topics. Schools must cover one topic for the Silver Award, three topics to gain a first Green Flag and five topics for Green Flag renewals, every two years. All topics can be easily incorporated into school life and curriculum regardless of the age of your pupils.

The Eco-Schools Topics

MARINE
	How does what we do in our schools, homes and streets affect our seas? Our NEW marine topic helps you and your students understand our impacts on the world’s oceans and how we can make positive differences for our seas.
BIODIVERSITY
	Although it is extremely hard to determine the exact number of species that we share the planet with, we know that it is a lot and that there is great diversity. How do you promote Biodiversity at school?
ENERGY
	School’s have two main uses for energy: heating and electricity. Can you address both to help lower your school’s impact on climate change?
LITTER
	In the same way that Keep Britain Tidy sees litter as a symptom of wider social problems, OFSTED see litter as a sign of students’ respect (or lack of it) for their learning environment. Is your school litter-free?
WASTE
	Waste comes in many different forms – food, paper, electrical, metal – it can all be reduced, reused or recycled. How can your school manage waste better?
TRANSPORT
	Schools can do a lot to improve the way their staff and pupils travel. Can your school encourage pupils to try new modes of transport?
WATER
	Water; the stuff of life. What can your school do use this precious resource wisely?
SCHOOL GROUNDS
	A school’s grounds are a fantastic environment in which to let the imagination run wild. How will your school make the most of its outside space?
HEALTHY LIVING
	People are part of the environment. We want both to be healthy. How does your school promote choices that are good for us and good for the environment?
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
	Join our International Eco-Schools Twinning Programme