Flying the Eco Flag

Kirkhill Primary School by Beauly, who were awarded an Eco School Green Flag in June, will be holding a short flag raising ceremony next Wednesday afternoon to celebrate their achievement.
 
Mr. George Hogg, a former parent and chairman of Kirkhill School Board will do the honours of actually raising the flag.  As well as being the local Area Manager for SNH, he is also the current chairman of Kirkhill & Bunchrew Community Trust Environment Group and a long time supporter of the Eco School programme.

Guests will include local Councillors, representatives from the ECS Service, parents and friends who have given the 150 pupil school support, and a great deal of help and advice over the last 3 years.

To gain their Eco Green Flag Kirkhill has had to show that the whole school is involved in running activities to improve their environmental performance and the school environment, with the help of the wider community.  Pupils and staff have had to demonstrate that they’ve really integrated ‘eco’ behaviour across the whole of the school, and that they’ve covered three or four of the nine environmental topic areas thoroughly in the process. Topics include litter, waste minimisation, energy use, water use, transport, health and wellbeing, school grounds, biodiversity and the international perspective – ‘Sustaining our World’.

Head teacher, Christine Ford said:  “We have decided to mark getting our Eco Green Flag in a special way which will bring together everyone who has helped and encouraged us along the way.  I am very proud of all the children and our flag raising ceremony on Wednesday will let us share our success with the whole community.”

Once a school has achieved its first Green Flag, it has to maintain its environmental performance, and then be checked every two years by external assessors until its fourth and permanent Green Flag is awarded
Across the Highlands, 183 schools  are registered to the international award scheme, Eco-Schools. 23 schools have achieved the top award – the Green Flag - while 40 have silver awards, and 64 have bronze awards.