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.
We have recently undergone a climate action survey and have been given a few goals to achieve in the short term across the school.
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.
Year 1 – Patrick and Alanis
Year 2 – Ava and Livia
Year 3 – Lexie and Zac
Year 4 – Darcey and Angus
Year 5 – Taryn and Finnley
Year 6 – Harrison and Bradley
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 – Rita and Ellis
Year 2 – Robyn and Henry
Year 3 – Oliver and Sienna
Year 4 – Reggie and Teddie
Year 5 – Freddie and Annabelle
Year 6 – Max J and Eddy
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 – Oliver
Year 2 – Freya
Year 3 – Elizabeth
Year 4 – Arabella
Year 5 – Luke
Year 6 – Riley
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 - Liam and Rita
Year 2 - Hazel and Darcie
Year 3 - Sienna L, Jacob and Charley
Year 4 -Harriet and Romilly
Year 5 -Thomas and Frankie
Year 6 - Max S and Peighton
No Idling Campaign
As part of the campaign, the Eco Team created a myth-busting video to help explain why reducing idling is important — take a look below!
We also created a poster to advertise the parking spaces available at the Pavilion. To view this, please click the link below:
/i/video/Mereworth-School-Eco-Team-No-Idling-Campaign-1.mp4
Big Walk and Wheel 2026!
We are excited to share that Mereworth Community Primary School has launched our own No Idling Campaign, running alongside the national Big Walk and Wheel initiative taking place from 16th -27th March. As part of our efforts to reduce emissions and keep the air around our school as clean as possible for our children, we encourage families to consider car sharing, walking, scooting, or cycling to school wherever possible.
For those who need to drive, there are 25 parking spaces available at the Sports Pavilion at the other end of The Street, allowing families to “park and stride” the short distance to school. As an added bonus, parents who do this can enjoy a discount at Jojo’s Café! We also ask that if you are waiting outside the school, please switch off your engine to support our No Idling Campaign.
Our Eco Team and School Council will be outside at drop-off monitoring the campaign’s effectiveness and would love to chat with you about the initiative if you see them. The more children who take part in Big Walk and Wheel, the bigger our impact on our local air quality and, as an added incentive the more chances our school has of winning daily prizes such as scooters for the school, so let’s all get involved and help us be in it to win it! Thank you for supporting us.
Wilder Kent 2025-2026
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 between now and the end of the school year.
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.