YOUNG eco-champions across the Forest of Dean are celebrating after eight local schools achieved the Eco-Schools Green Flag, a global mark of excellence in environmental education and action.

The eight schools included Huntley Church of England Primary School, Coalway Junior School, Heart of the Forest Community Special School, St White’s Primary School, Woolaston Primary School, Tutshill Church of England School, Parkend Primary School and Primrose Hill Church of England Primary School.

The schools earned the award by completing the Eco-Schools’ seven-step programme, empowering pupils to lead real change through projects focused on sustainability, climate awareness, and biodiversity.

Cllr Jackie Fraser, Cabinet Member for Environment at Forest of Dean District Council, said: “We’re thrilled to have supported another ten schools to take part in Eco-Schools, eight of which have been awarded their Green Flag awards and two of which are on track to complete the criteria next year. This is the second year we’ve funded local schools to take part in the programme - covering registration costs and providing £100 to support extra resources for eco projects.

“The creativity, hard work and commitment shown by students and teachers has been inspiring. The schools that I’ve visited have carried out wonderful work, from planting fruit trees to learning about plastic pollution and taking steps to reduce the disposable plastic items they use and throw away.”

Among the standouts were Tutshill Church of England School students, who turned empty crisp packets into blankets for people experiencing homelessness and created no-dig garden beds to promote soil health and reduce emissions.

Huntley Church of England Primary students took on pen and soft plastic recycling, started composting, and explored the link between plastic waste and declining sea turtle populations.

Other schools planted vegetables, picked litter, and even appointed Energy Monitors to ensure lights and whiteboards are turned off when not needed.

The Eco-Schools programme, run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, is the largest educational programme of its kind in the world. Since 1994, millions of young people have taken part - helping to tackle issues like climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss at a grassroots level.

The heart of the programme is its pupil-led approach. Students form eco-committees, investigate environmental issues that matter to them, and lead projects in their schools and communities - giving them the tools to make a difference and the confidence to act.

Schools must complete seven steps to apply for the Green Flag, which includes creating an eco-committee that meets regularly, holding an environmental review of their school, drawing up an action plan, informing the wider school about the committee’s work and learnings, monitoring and evaluating projects in the action plan, and creating an eco-code.

Schools must also link climate change to at least three areas of curriculum learning during the year.

More Information about the award can be found on Keep Britain Tidy’s Eco-Schools website.

Handy tips for how you can be eco-friendly at home can also be found online.