Partnerships


The school turned a negative into an overwhelming positive, thanks to ambitious plans spearheaded by the eco committee, with each class playing its part


round local companies asking for support, and B&Q and the Blackwood Garden Centre were among those who made generous donations of plants, soil and planters. The PTA also launched a fundraising appeal on Twitter, which brought in £884.76. In addition, the Parish of


These plans were submitted as


part of the grant application and the school successfully secured £10,000 in funding. The two-way collaboration with KWT was further strengthened when the pupils took part in a postponed litter clean-up campaign around the village in late spring. Also involved in the project was


Commons Connection Ranger Mark from the government agency Natural Resources Wales. Mark, who had previously worked with the school on a number of initiatives to prevent fly tipping, helped the children research how to plant hedgerows that would both protect the school grounds and encourage wildlife. Their work was in turn supported by the local hedgehog charity based in Torfaen, which sent a donation and wildflower seeds. Meanwhile, the school’s PTA (The


Friends of Fochriw Primary) was busy raising funds and securing donations to repair the damaged polytunnel. PTA members rang


Pontlottyn and Fochriw St Tyfaelog donated planters and raised over £110, while the community police support officers, Caerphilly Council and a range of volunteers offered help with the gardening and repair. The children’s achievements


were recognised when Fochriw Primary was named a regional winner in the Better Energy School Awards, a national competition run by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE) in partnership with Total. The school was awarded £500 and received a certificate of excellence in environmental education. Councillor Ross Whiting, cabinet member for learning at Caerphilly


Council, says that there is tremendous local pride in Fochriw Primary School: ‘They have overcome a devastating challenge and in doing so have created something beautiful within their school grounds.’ For Sharon Pascoe, the project


‘We set high expectations


in our environmental work and this feel-good story


shows the resilience of our whole school community’


shows what can happen when a community works together: ‘We were delighted when our efforts to share our aspirations for our pupils to be ethical, informed citizens was recognised. We set high expectations in our environmental work and this feel-good story of overcoming the destruction that happened shows the resilience of our whole school community. Our thanks go to all those organisations and local businesses who became part of this team effort.’


n The Better Energy School Awards aim to generate interest in the environment and raise awareness of the need for sustainable energy sources for 5-11 year olds.


FundEd AUTUMN 2021 41


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60