Islington schools have again won plaudits in the Mayor of London’s annual London Schools Environment Awards. <br><br>The scheme aims to develop schoolchildren’s sense of responsibility about the environment through a range of classroom activities and projects focusing on litter, waste and recycling, energy, transport and biodiversity.<br><br>The scheme also rewards schools for including environmental issues in their curriculum by offering two awards for the best school projects in each participating borough. Islington’s winners this year were Canonbury Primary School, who won the Distinction prize of £2,000, and Pooles Park Primary, who won £1,000 for the Highly Commended Award.<br><br>The awards were presented by Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, on 21 September. <br><br>Some of Canonbury’s student projects included a fashion show of clothes made from newspapers, and a musical washing line. Students also grew fruit, vegetables and flowers, and made recycled paper. Pooles Park offered incentives for children who volunteered to be “litter monitors” and “green detectives”, while the whole school got involved in their organic allotment and Walk to School week. <br><br>Islington Councillor Bridget Fox, Executive member for sustainability, said: “Islington Council is proud to support this initiative. It is important that our children learn about the need to reduce, re-use and recycle waste and to save energy at home and at school.”<br><br>Entry forms will soon be distributed to all London primary schools for the next awards scheme.<br><br>For more information on the London Schools Environment Awards scheme, contact the sustainability unit at Islington Council on 020 7527 8747.<br><br>ENDS
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009