Eco school, Archdeacon Cambridge Primary School, Twickenha, rewarded with Green Flag

This is the new motto at one borough school, which is so committed to its green agenda that teachers and pupils are even hoping to brand their very own peas and beans.

Archdeacon Cambridge's Church of England Primary School, in The Green, Twickenham, has had a successful year so far, having recently been awarded Green Flag status, and plans to continue putting green fingers to use in the months ahead.

Deputy headteacher, Etain Gibson, said the school had much more to offer by way of sustainable projects and carbon cutting initiatives, including a sustainable classroom for their wildlife area and planting seeds reaped from this year’s harvest.

As part of Wildlife Week, children showed the borough just how green they are by releasing 100 biodegradable green balloons last Monday.

Ms Gibson said: “Our teachers and children feel very proud and that green issues are part of our everyday life and ethos.

“We don't want to waste anything and want to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. Our teachers feel strongly that green issues are an integral part of the curriculum.

“We have held blackout weeks where everyone is extra conscious of lights, computers and overhead projectors being off and blinds open - as well as closing doors and windows to keep in heat.

“Our Eco-warriors designed a grid which they do a regular classroom check weekly. Eco-crimes are taken very seriously.”

Last week also saw pupils create scarecrows for the school’s garden. Ms Gibson said everyone wanted to “develop Archdeacon peas and beans” in 2011.

She added: “We have a culture firmly in place of children being able to work on solutions to problems to show that if each person does one little thing, it can build up to a huge achievement.

“There are 459 children and 45 staff at our school so that is nearly 500 people and their families making a difference.

“Our children have become empowered learners and have gained confidence and ability to tackle problems feeling that they can contribute solutions to world issues themselves.”