WORKOUT Thomas Tallis School Local regeneration through school grounds projects 10 casestudy KEY FACTS

The school Thomas Tallis is a large mixed comprehensive school in , South . The grounds The school is lucky to have large grounds, which they have been determined to use to the full. The project The school has a long history of different school grounds projects, most recently being part of the Sport funded programme Grounds for Improvement, in which the school community voted for a large climbing wall. Staff involvement 25 members of staff are actively involved in eco-projects. The eco working party includes a teacher and the groundsman. Environmental audits every two years survey the opinions of all staff, as well as students and parents. Student involvement The school has a prominent eco working party of peer nominated students, who make many of the decisions as to future Project details The school has also worked in changes to the school, based on collaboration with the Kidbrooke Allotment consultations with their peers. Over the years the school has built up a wide network of links with the local Association, who are based next to the community in order to involve local school. They have helped the eco working Getting started party to apply for funds to develop a Peace Several years ago, an artist was asked to residents and organisations, and to source cheaper labour and support. Garden, which will be a space managed by create a sculpture to sit in the school the pupils as a quiet, contemplative area, quad, with no consultation with the Local Labour and Business (GLLaB) have been involved with much of the building with herb and vegetable gardening. The pupils. The artwork was quickly growing area was initiated after work with vandalised by the pupils, as they felt no work within the school, especially those tasks not suitable for the younger pupils. , who has been helping the ownership of it, and were not consulted school to create more healthy lunches. on the project. Since then, all arts The school is also in regular contact with The vegetables grown will be used by the projects have involved the pupils in both local residents’ groups and youth clubs on canteen. the design and the implementation, and a local estate. It uses money from its there have been no further cases of Beacon status to train local groups to use Yet another feature of the school is their vandalism. This shows that if you involve the new equipment (climbing wall and low massive 'Ecology Park', and they are pupils and others in the project it is likely ropes course), so that they can use the site working with the Trust for Urban Ecology to be more highly respected, and under supervision during school holidays. to develop the area. therefore more sustainable. KEY COMMENT 'Our eco-projects are decided by students, organised by students and run by students.' All pictures - Students at work in the Ecology Park. (teacher) Credit Scott Macsween

Issues to consider: ❋ The school has seen a significant reduction in vandalism and antisocial behaviour as a result of working with the local community, and sharing the resource of their school grounds. How could a school grounds project help meet your school’s wider aims?

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