Maidenhead & Windsor

Pioneering staff and pupils at one Maidenhead Royal Borough primary school will literally have “the whole world in their hands” next week when they enjoy a very special extra-curricular sustainability lesson.

Pupils at St Edmund Campion Catholic primary school in Altwood Road, Maidenhead, will be proving they are top of the sustainability class when they are presented with an innovative one-metre Earth Ball in recognition of their leading-edge work on sustainability.

The Maidenhead school is the first in the borough to write its own draft Learning for Sustainability framework, an ‘action learning’ tool designed to enable all school activity to be directed with sustainability as the over-arching goal.

The school will be the “keeper” of the innovative Earth Ball – a lightweight globe featuring satellite images to depict the earth as viewed from outer space – which will be available for use by all other Royal Borough schools.

Pupils will receive the Earth Ball from Karen Barker, Corporate Affairs, Masterfoods (sponsors of Learning for Sustainability) during a schools’ conference to be held at the school in Altwood Road, Maidenhead on Tuesday May 15 at 4pm to discuss the progress being made in promoting learning for sustainability in schools and their wider communities.

Representatives of 26 borough schools will discuss the local and national initiatives and activities supporting Learning for Sustainability – and hear from Leszek Iwaskow, Ofsted inspector for geography and education for sustainable development, on the opportunities that exist for improving standards and ensuring that the future of every child matters.

On hand will be members of the council’s LfS Action Group offering advice on areas such as energy, water, transport, waste and biodiversity, as well as Eco-schools, an awards programme already adopted by more than one-third of local schools.

Tim Morton, Learning for Sustainability co-ordinator, said: “This is the first opportunity we have had in the borough since November 2005 to update schools on developments. They have a major role to play in developing a culture that equips young people to positively shape the world of the future.

“The Earth Ball, which will ‘live’ at St Edmund Campion school, is a fun, inspirational tool which can be used to help children better understand the fundamental ‘bottom line’ of all human activity, our dependence on planet earth.

“Learning for Sustainability is all about developing the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes we need to understand and respond appropriately to the complex home we inhabit. It is encouraging to see our schools responding so positively.”

Karen Barker, corporate affairs, Masterfoods, sponsors of Learning for Sustainability, said: “In 2005 we supported a major conference to launch Learning for Sustainability in schools.

“I am thrilled that, 18 months on, there are five schools actively engaged in the LfS process and that around one-third of schools are now registered as Eco-Schools. It is exciting to see how the rate of involvement is speeding up.”

For further information about Learning for Sustainability contact Tim Morton, Learning for Sustainability Co-ordinator, on 01628 796426.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead