Pupils came together in Yard to raise the flag for a greener Westminster, sowing wildflower seeds to mark the occasion. The School year began with a new award for Westminster School; that of Eco-Schools Green Flag Accreditation, an internationally recognised award managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education, that honours student-led environmental action and sustainability education.
Thanks to the hard work of the School’s Sustainability Society, Westminster achieved its accreditation with distinction, in recognition of its range of initiatives, including travel audits and textbook recycling. To mark the occasion, pupils gathered as the Head Master scattered a native wildflower meadow mix outside Ashburnham House, which will create a diverse display of flowers to support bees and other pollinators within the School’s grounds.
Sustainability Society pupil-in-charge, Jixuan (Remove, BB), said: “As these flowers grow and bloom, they will mark this milestone for years to come. They are a symbol of the work and achievements thus far, but also a symbol of a new era of growth for Westminster sustainability. This ceremony and celebration of the Green Flag Accreditation marks the completion of building a house. Using this as a springboard, it is time for us, the Westminster community, to build a skyscraper of sustainability.”
As part of the co-curricular programme, the pupil-led Sustainability Society provides a platform for discussion of environmental issues. The Sustainability Committee members meet with senior leaders, as well as colleagues from the Estates and Catering teams, to incorporate sustainable measures across day-to-day practices, to ensure sustainability remains part of the School’s agenda, and to guarantee pupil voice plays an important role in driving and shaping future improvements. Dedicated Sixth Formers, new and old, have been instrumental in adapting the School’s Wellbeing curriculum to include a ‘Living in the Wider World’ strand focused on sustainable living, financial planning, and rights and responsibilities, running activities for Lower School pupils to learn about the importance of sustainability, and spearheading the School’s participation in Eco-Schools Count your Carbon programme.
The group’s mission extends beyond co-curricular activities and complements themes already explored in the classroom. Pupils investigate topics such as water pollution, deforestation and environmental sustainability, while A Level Geographers examine the challenges of creating sustainable cities and measuring sustainability. The society was also praised by Eco-Schools for maintaining an active Instagram page with ‘informative, accessible and educational’ posts.
Georgia (Remove, AHH) said: “It was great to be part of the planting ceremony and celebrate the School achieving Green Flag status. I’m looking forward to building on this achievement through the sustainability projects we’re developing, including an initiative to encourage the reuse of old textbooks.”
Thomas (Remove, GG) said: “Achieving Green Flag status is a fantastic recognition of our collective efforts to make the school more sustainable. Our textbook hand-down campaign showed how we can reduce waste by making better use of resources already within the school, and I hope we can build on this and find new ways to make a difference!”
Master-in-Charge and head of philosophy and theology, Joseph Fenton, said: “I’m looking forward to that sustainable sky scraper!’
Established in 1994, the Eco-schools programme has spent more than 30 years inspiring and empowering young people to become environmental leaders. Today, Eco Schools Green Flag accreditation is awarded in more than 100 countries, reflecting the programme’s global impact. In England alone, it reaches over one million young people each year, supporting them to take meaningful action and drive positive change for our planet.
