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Bees, worms and bug hotels help Miller Academy pupils achieve Green Flag status


By Jean Gunn

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Some of the Miller Academy P3 class proudly display their green flag award.
Some of the Miller Academy P3 class proudly display their green flag award.

Thurso's Miller Academy is flying the Green Flag for ecology after a successful campaign by pupils and staff to achieve an internationally recognised award.

The green flag is a visible indication of the school's commitment to learning for sustainability and is part of the Eco-Schools programme - delivered in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Head teacher Jacqui Budge explained that the children and staff of Miller Academy had a wonderful day when they celebrated their fantastic achievement by raising the flag for the first time. Members of the school's Eco committee were involved in the event.

Mrs Budge said “We are delighted to have been awarded this, as all of our children and staff worked so very hard on their Eco learning and activities and so really do deserve this award. Our depute head teacher, Ms Unger, led this and met regularly with our Eco committee.

"Our children in school and our Early Learning Centre were involved in so many activities, creating a wormery, learning about and building a bug hotel, recycling in all classes and office spaces, developing our outside garden and play areas, growing vegetables, learning about bee keeping, making bird feeders, introducing our ‘Rag Bag’ to recycle clothes, attending after school gardening clubs and completing litter tidies."

Chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, Barry Fisher, said: “I’d like to congratulate the Eco-Committee, and all other pupils, staff and carers at Miller Academy Primary School who worked so hard to achieve their first Green Flag as part of their Eco-Schools journey.

"Our assessor was really impressed with the approach taken by the school to develop links and partnerships with the local community as pupils learnt about litter, biodiversity and waste management.

"The young people also clearly outlined why they chose the UN Sustainable Development Goal – Global Goal 12, responsible consumption and production, as a framework for their learning. We hope they enjoy the celebration and are proud of their very well deserved new Green Flag.”

The Green Flag Award is an internationally recognised achievement for schools and nurseries committed to Learning for Sustainability. Flags can be seen flying outside schools all over Scotland.

Eco-Schools is the largest sustainable schools programme in the world with 19.5 million children, young people and educators engaged worldwide in 67 different countries.


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