Here at Mereworth we take caring for the environment seriously. Our pupils are involved in activities from recycling pens to growing plants, turning off lights to ensuring water is never wasted. Our Eco Team members have regular meetings to discuss our ongoing projects.
Pupil Roles & Responsibilities
Eco Team
The Eco Team plays a key role in promoting sustainability across the school. Members lead and support environmental initiatives, helping pupils understand how they can make a positive difference to the world around them. They monitor the correct use of recycling bins and encourage everyone to reduce waste. The team also champions campaigns such as No Idling, helping to raise awareness of air quality and environmental responsibility.
Energy Champions
Energy Champions help the school reduce its energy use and protect the environment. They encourage classes to switch off lights, screens and other equipment when they are not needed. Each class has a monitor who checks the school's traffic light system for energy use and promotes good habits throughout the day. Through this role, pupils learn how small actions can make a big difference to conserving energy.
Year 1 – Rocco V
Year 2 – Thea
Year 3 – James C
Year 4 – Alana
Year 5 – Isabella
Year 6 – Leighton
Pen Pals
Pen Pals help to reduce waste by collecting used pens and stationery items from around the school. They work with Tom's Studio to ensure these items are recycled responsibly, helping to close the loop on a resource that is used every day. Collections are organised each term before being sent away for recycling. This role encourages pupils to think carefully about sustainability and the importance of reusing materials wherever possible.
Year 1 – William
Year 2 – Toby
Year 3 – Finlay
Year 4 – Maxwell
Year 5 – Edith
Year 6 – Edward
Water Warriors
Inspired by a visit from Southern Water, Water Warriors help to promote water conservation across the school. They encourage pupils to use reusable water bottles, report leaking taps to our school caretaker, and help everyone understand the importance of saving water. Working alongside the Gardening Club, they support the use of water butts to collect rainwater for plants. Through this role, pupils become champions for protecting one of our most valuable natural resources.
Year 1 - Lucas-Clay
Year 2 - Kelly-Ann
Year 3 - Henry
Year 4 -Jessica
Year 5 -Thomas
Year 6 - Valentina
Recycling Champions
At Mereworth Community Primary, we’re proud to recognise our Recycling Champions - children who are learning how everyday choices can help protect the planet. They do this by sorting paper, cardboard and plastic correctly, using recycling bins in school, and remembering to keep items clean and dry. We encourage parents and carers to talk with children about what can be recycled, follow local guidance from the council, and celebrate small improvements, such as using reusable bottles and cutting down on single-use packaging. Together, we can build good habits that last, support a healthier environment for our community, and help our children feel confident that their actions matter.
Year R -
Year 1 - Jesse
Year 2 - Dottie
Year 3 - Darcie
Year 4 - Oliver
Year 5 - Mia
Year 6 - Luke
Big Walk and Wheel and Our No Idling Campaign
In March 2026, we launched our Mereworth No Idling Campaign alongside the national Big Walk and Wheel initiative, encouraging families to help reduce emissions and keep the air around our school clean.
Please continue to support the campaign by walking, scooting, cycling or car sharing wherever possible. If you need to drive, please consider using the parking spaces at the Sports Pavilion to “park and stride” the short distance to school. When parked or waiting outside school, please switch off your engine.
Our Eco Team and School Council are continuing to promote the campaign throughout the 2026–2027 academic year. They will also explore new initiatives alongside Kent County Council to support the campaign and encourage more sustainable journeys to school.
Thank you for helping us create a healthier environment for our children and school community.
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Wilder Kent Award
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Wilder Kent 2025–2026 Bronze Award!
This fantastic achievement recognises our work across three key areas:
- Protecting Wildlife
- Sustainability and Carbon Reduction
- Engaging with Nature
We are especially proud to receive this award ahead of several exciting new projects launching this spring and summer term 2026. Our School Council, Eco Team and new Gardening Club are already working hard on a number of initiatives to:
- Reduce carbon emissions
- Encourage wildlife in our school grounds, including birds, butterflies and insects
- Grow plants, flowers and vegetables
We are very much looking forward to sharing our progress with you as these projects develop.
Green School Award 2025 - 2026
Our Eco Team have been working hard over the last year and have completed many projects in school. Our efforts have been rewarded and recognised for the amazing work we have done and we have been won a Green School award. The company running the award noted our efforts with turning lights off, saving energy, recycling, encouragement of parents to walk to school, outdoor learning environments, forest school, pond, areas for wildlife, sensory garden, poly tunnel and education for the children. We were extremely proud to take a small number of the Eco Team to the award ceremony in Ashford on Friday 28th November, during which we collected our award. We were complemented on our display by numerous sponsors and other school, many of which were amazed by our achievements. We have lots more jobs coming up to complete and more exciting actions to take.
Proactive Recycling
Each classroom has a dry recycling bin and a general waste bin, while food waste continues to be collected in the playground bins.
Children in Years 2–6 help to empty the bins into the correct recycling areas each day, encouraging everyone to play their part in caring for the environment.
We are excited to continue developing our eco-friendly habits.
Gardening Club
At Mereworth Community Primary School, our Gardening Club helps children connect with nature while supporting the school's sustainability goals. Working closely with the Eco Team, pupils take part in hands-on projects that enhance our environment and develop their understanding of growing fruit and vegetables.
Children make full use of our polytunnel for year-round growing, create bug hotels to support wildlife, and plant natural pest repellents such as marigolds. They have also planted climbing plants around our pergolas to create natural shade and helped establish a no-mow wildflower area that encourages biodiversity and provides a valuable habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
The club is led by dedicated FOMS members and, in collaboration with gardening club, they run a fruit and vegetable stall with a full-circle packaging recycling scheme, helping pupils learn about reducing waste and caring for the environment. Through fun, practical activities, Gardening Club inspires a love of nature, promotes teamwork and encourages children to become responsible environmental champions for the future.