Schools Go Green

Schools Go Green

It’s important to teach future generations about the environment, and what better place to do it than in school, where they spend much of their time?

At Howe Dell Primary School in Hatfield, pupils are taught about environmental issues, and not only this, the school itself is one of the eco-friendliest schools in the world!

The world’s most eco-friendly school

The newly-built primary school is one of the most eco-friendly in the world. Its roofs are made from plants and grasses that provide natural insulation and an opportunity to teach the children about the plants that have been used.

The pupils’ desks are made from recycled drainpipes, the sink tops are made from recycled yogurt pots, and the toilets are flushed with recycled rainwater. The building has solar panels and a wind turbine that constantly provide renewable energy, and there’s also a heating system underneath the playground. This heating system is somewhat of a marvel, because when the tarmac is heated by the sun in the summer, the pipes underneath also heat up, and the water is pumped away to be stored in thermal banks so the heated water can be used when it is needed, especially in the winter.

Green Schools in Europe

A boarding school in Stockholm, Sweden is being designed, and it is set to include hanging gardens, and indoor vegetable plots. The building will have giant glass windows to let the heat and light in, so it will effectively be like a large greenhouse. It is hoped that the building will help to teach pupils about sustainable living.

In Germany, the Herwig Blankertz Vocational School has transformed an old army barracks into an energy-efficient school building. It has a translucent roof that lets the light flood in and it also has solar panels that supply the building with electricity.

The classrooms are insulated to make the temperature cooler or warmer depending on the time of year, so the building is less dependent on traditional fuels to regulate room temperatures.

The Marcel Sembat High School in France has been given a ‘green-roof’ which provides insulation and teaches children how technology and the environment can exist side by side.

The future for eco-friendly schools

In the future, eco schools might become part of a network of buildings that produce recyclable energy, with the potential to store it, and so any surplus could be fed back into the national grid.

What else can be done in schools?

Recycling schemes are in place in many schools, but there are more ways to make schools a more environmentally friendly place to be.

Including more plants in the environment

Plants in the classroom can make pupils more aware of nature. Research has also shown that children’s concentration and performance improves by 14% when there are plants in their surroundings.

Making sure school food is better sourced and healthier

As well as helping children focus better in lessons, sourcing healthy and sustainable food can help the environment too.

The Food For Life Partnership is an organisation which works to help everyone make healthy and sustainable choices, and to learn about where their food comes from, and how sustainable food choices can benefit the environment.

The organisation doesn’t just work with schools, they work with nurseries, hospitals, and care homes, and they engage parents, staff, patients and visitors, caterers, carers and the wider community with their campaigns.