What is Eco Schools all about?

Eco-Schools is a global programme engaging 19.5 million children across 70 countries, making it the largest educational programme on the planet.

The programme was developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in 1994 and run in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.

It is designed to empower and inspire young people to make positive environmental changes to their school and wider community, while building on their skills, including numeracy and literacy, and encompassing Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship.

Our Eco Committee

At Ysgol Hendrefelin, our Eco Committee—made up of pupils and staff—meets regularly throughout the year to discuss ways we can reduce our environmental impact and make our school more sustainable. Committee members represent the views of pupils from across the school and focus on key environmental areas including:

• Energy use
• Waste and recycling
• Water conservation
• Biodiversity
• Healthy living

Our pupils take the lead in planning projects, running campaigns, and raising awareness across the school community. Together, they set clear, achievable targets and monitor progress to ensure that real and meaningful changes are being made.

After each meeting, Eco Committee members share updates with their classes and staff so that everyone is aware of current Eco initiatives. Our Eco display board is also used to keep students informed, celebrate achievements, and highlight upcoming projects.

Recent Eco Projects

Some of the projects our Eco Committee has been working on include:

• Setting up a food share scheme to help reduce food waste.
• Introducing new recycling bins and encouraging everyone to reduce waste.
• Promoting the reduction and banning of single-use plastics across the school.
• Planting wildflowers and creating bug hotels to support local wildlife.
• Reviewing our school menu to help reduce our carbon footprint.
• Joining Energy Sparks to monitor and better understand our energy use across the school.

Working Together for a Greener Future

Eco values are embedded into everyday life at Ysgol Hendrefelin. As a whole-school community, we work together to keep environmental responsibility a high priority, including caring for our school grounds and the local community environment.

By working together, we are learning that small changes can make a big difference. Our goal is to earn and maintain our Eco-Schools Green Flag Award, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to protecting the environment.

We are incredibly proud of how our pupils are developing responsibility, teamwork, and a genuine passion for caring for the world around them. The Eco-Schools journey is helping us all become thoughtful, informed, and sustainable citizens—both now and for the future.