| School name: | Latymer Prep School |  |
| School/college address: | 36 Upper Mall
London Greater London W6 9TA England | |
| School phone number: | 08456385700 | |
| Number of pupils in school(s) - male: | 90 | |
| Number of pupils in school(s) - female: | 75 | |
| Number of staff in school(s): | 14 | |
| Name | Position (e.g. Headteacher, parent, etc.) | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs Nancy C Bilderbeck | Head of Science | Latymer Prep School |
| Mr Stuart Dorrian | Principal | Latymer Prep School |
| Ms Gay Search | Gardening Consultant | Self Employed |
| Mr Hugh Broughton and Ms Officer | Architect and Architect (retired) | Self Employed |
| Ms Clair McMullen | Sustainable Energy Engineer | RPS |
| Ms Julia Mulligan | Science Technician | Latymer Upper School |
The key skills, strengths and roles of each team member are: (200 words)
Nancy C Bilderbeck - Head of Science, Project Manager, overseeing all aspects of the project, co-ordination of team members, co-ordination of children's involvement through assemblies, coursework, clubs, bulletins and newsletters.
Stuart Dorrian - Support, Advice and Liaison with the Latymer Foundation and Latymer Upper School regarding school's contribution of labour, materials, additional financial support through fund raising. Organization for the clearing of the site. Liaising with Parents Gild to fund any shortfall in funds. Very keen for this project to take place.
Clair McMullen - Advise on sustainable energy items, knowledge of products available, co-ordination of investigative work necessary for the installation of features.
Hugh Broughton (HB) and F Officer (FO) - Current parents and professional architects. HB support on planning permission and space design. HB currently developing the Antarctic Research Station and will link this to our project through a series of assemblies. FO recently retired to raise her children: will draw up plans of the space throughout the project.
Gay Search - Landscape Gardener, former presenter of BBC Gardener's World, consultant on sustainable plants and planting
Julia Mulligan - to advise on safety aspects in conjunction with CLEAPPS, link to LUS for support and for dissemination of information
Topic area of proposal: Processes and Living Things - Ecology/environment
Briefly, the aim of our proposal is: (50 words)
Due to the relocation of an access gate an area (5m x 8m) is currently available for development. This space would be developed into an Eco-showcase, containing affordable items currently available which reduce ones carbon footprint: wind power, solar energy, water power. It would contain examples of sustainability: composting, wormery, harvesting water. Features would be included to attract wildlife. The space would include a weather station to assist in linking the changes in nature and the changing climate (phenology).
Construction materials would be from sustainable sources, recycled or salvaged. The area would be a “garden†and plants would be drought resistant.
Pupil type to benefit: All
Age range to benefit from proposal: 3-11
Learning outcomes from our proposal: (50 words)
To educate children about the technologies available for improving and sustaining the environment and encourage discussion and debate about these technologies.
To involved children in Investigate: eg, determination of wind speed in various areas before installation of a wind turbine, assessment sunlight angle for the positioning of solar panels.
Our reasons for developing this particular proposal: (100 words)
The children's interest in environmental issues has developed as the School became involved in the Eco-schools programme. School assemblies featuring individuals working in environmental areas (architectural design of eco-friendly living pods on Antarctica, development of eco-friendly housing) have further inspired the children.
In consultation with Clair McMullen at RPS the idea of creating an Eco-showcase began to develop. To assess the children's interest plan for the space was solicited and over 100 contributions were received. Parents have also come forward to offer their expertise.
Involvement in this project would result in recertification points for Claire.
Detailed description of our proposal: (300 words)
The children's ownership of this project is paramount and efforts will be made to make them the real project managers. Their interest was apparent when, after discussing in an assembly the possibilities for our newly acquired space, over 100 plans were submitted for consideration of the Eco-showcase design. Some of these design were on display at the 2008 ASE Annual Conference in Liverpool.
When the project commences the children will be involved in investigative work which is necessary before the design of the space is finalized. Investigations will include but not be limited to: determining wind speed at various locations of the garden and at various heights, discovering the best angle and orientation of solar panels, surveying wildlife in an established garden nearby to understand the breadth of wildlife that could be attracted to the space.
This innovative project will metamorphose as new technologies become available. As an outdoor classroom it will provide opportunities to debate issues and signs will encourage reflection about human's impact on our planet.
This project links with our Eco-schools initiative and the school's developing travel plan.
The school community will be kept abreast of the progress of this project through regular assembly updates and newsletters. The space will be used during science lessons and have cross-curricular links when possible: maths - measuring the site, citizenship - why various trees are protected. There will be a weekly after school club and occasional weekend work days set aside to work on the project. The space will be open each week, supervised by school staff.
Parents and children can record suggestions and comments in a feedback book located in the school.
Involvement in this project would result in recertification points for Claire.
Outline of how our team would implement our proposal over a period of not more than 24 weeks: (300 words, bulleted lists accepted)
Prior to project commencement:
- Site cleared (NB with facilities staff)
- Compile children's ideas for the site (NB)
- Meet with GS, HB and MO for preliminary discussions for layout of site
- Begin to collect salvaged material (NB, SD)
Week 1: Call a meeting with all adults involved to clarify aims and objectives of the project. Meet with Rolls Royce.
Week 2: Begin a weekly after school club: 45 minutes (NB) Children discuss short listed plans.
Club members to report back to their classes at regular intervals.
Consider holding a lunchtime club.
Hold an assembly to explain the project aims and objectives
Begin a series of by-weekly newsletters to the school community about the project (NB) Particularly important to collect salvaged material. Begin an inventory of materials.
Possibly hold a Saturday work day involving the school community
Week 3: Discussion on items to be procured for the project. As soon thereafter, items to be ordered.
Week 4 - 20
Regular meeting to evaluate the progress of the space
Scheduled visits to the site by the children during teaching times (Science lessons possibly)
Regular newsletters to the parents and extended school community
Weekly club meetings after school to work on the site
Regular assemblies
DURING THIS PROJECT - there would be a curriculum theme week on the ENVIRONMENT. This is an annual school event and would fulfill a criteria for the school's Green Flag
Week 21 - 24
Project wrap up
Celebratory event – possibly to coincide with receiving the Eco-schools green flag
Prep School Governor representative to be invited, representative from the borough, etc.
Contact local media
The monitoring procedures we will use during the project are: (200 words, bulleted lists accepted)
Nancy Bilderbeck, as project leader will:
- Send regular questionnaires to the parents for their feedback on the project (pre, mid and post project)
- Solicit feedback from the neighborhood surrounding the school via questionnaire
- Hold a pre-project staff meeting to inform all staff
- Hold assemblies throughout the project for the pupil's feedback
- Establish feedback book, accessible to the wider school community
- Hold regular meetings with the adults involved for discussion and evaluation of the project
- Communicate developments via e-mail
- Keep school community informed of comments received from wider community
MID PROJECT: Set a date for formal evaluation and to agree a time line for the remainder of the project
NB to monitor expenditure
The evaluation procedures we will use at the end of the 25 weeks to check the effectiveness of our project are: (200 words, bulleted lists accepted)
Evaluate:
- value added and changes in attitude towards the environment through discussions with children and the wider school community and using questionnaires ie: What is the most interesting environmental feature in the showcase? How does it help the environment?
- difficulties during installation and how these were overcome
- implementation of children and parents of eco-friendly ideas in their own homes
- children's feeling about the project in general, working with professionals, working as a team
- children's understanding of how the project links to the greater picture of our borough and beyond to our planet
- The location of the garden is on a heavily used pedestrian thoroughfare and is clearly visible to those passing the school. Signage on the fence would keep the general public informed of the project’s development and general information. As the end of the project approached comments would be solicited.
- Solicit feedback from the neighborhood surrounding the school via questionnaire at end of project
Itemised costs of putting your proposal into practice within a maximum budget of £5,000 or equivalent in Euros:
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