It’s Our World: Irby day nursery’s tots win top eco school status

Sep 7 2011 by Jade Wright, Birkenhead News

A WIRRAL day nursery has become the first daycare nursery in the borough to achieve Eco-School status.

Initiated in 2006 as part of the government’s goal to ensure every UK school is sustainable by 2020, Eco-Schools is an international award programme which guides schools on their sustainable journey.

The UK programme is managed by Keep Britain Tidy and covers nine key topics including energy efficiency, healthy living and biodiversity through to global perspectives, which looks to develop children’s perception and appreciation of the world around them.

Staff, parents and the children at Daisy And Jake nursery, in Irby, have been working tirelessly to meet the strict criteria in order to achieve this status.

Their activities included litter-picking and recycling through to heavy investment in outdoor resources to encourage the children to help and protect wildlife.

Parents and staff have also formed an action team to develop and deliver an ongoing plan meeting specific targets set by Keep Britain Tidy.

Nursey owner Lisa Collins – the current holder of the Merseyside Woman of the Year title in our sister title the Daily Post – said: “We have all worked so hard to achieve this status. It has been a personal and professional goal of mine for some time now and I am delighted we are finally accredited.”

As well as being the only day care nursery in Wirral to be a recognised Eco-School, Daisy And Jake was only the third in the North West and one of just 16 across the country.

The government wants every school to be sustainable by 2020.

Children are the driving force behind Eco-Schools – they lead the eco-committee and help carry out an audit to assess the environmental performance of their school.

Through consultation with the rest of the school and the wider community, the pupils that decide which environmental themes they want to address and how to do it.

Schools work towards gaining one of three awards – bronze, silver and the prestigious Green Flag award, which symbolises excellence in environmental activity. The Green Flag is assessed by Keep Britain Tidy.