Pipers Students achieve Platinum in Green Tree Schools Award

After beginning the Green Tree Schools Awards (a Woodland Trust Award Scheme) back in 2011 and after many years of brilliant work done by our students, we are very proud to have achieved the highest accolade and now proudly have a Platinum Green Tree School Award.

Our journey with the Scheme began when we ordered edible Active Kids Hedge and Copse packs. The trees from the first pack we received were planted and are now maturing in our Orchard.

Our students have completed various challenges that focused on encouraging them to get outside and engage with local woodlands. These challenges included (amongst other things) scavenger hunts and waymarking walks. As the team worked their way through to achieving Bronze and Silver, they achieved Gold in 2024, which also coincided with the introduction of our own Wellbeing Garden that same year.

In Autumn of 2024, students were presented with the qualification criteria for the Platinum award. The first task was to see the forest from a different perspective. Year 6 took up the challenge and used iPads to photograph the forest from up high to get a bird’s eye view, and down low for a minibeast view. The project concluded with a special wall display in the Prep Art corridor where the students painted their photographs on to canvas in the style of David Hockney using bright oil paints.

The second task was completed by students in our Pre-Prep Department. Year 2 chose a favourite part of the forest, put markers down whilst providing their younger peers with facts and information about our wooded area. The younger Pre-Prep students then followed the trail of markers around the forest and listened to the stories the students had prepared about each place. They then delivered an assembly about the experience.

The Green Tree Schools Award was set up by the Woodland Trust to help encourage outdoor learning amongst children. With 16,000 schools taking part, the award equips children with the skills and knowledge to help the environment in their own school grounds.

Congratulations to our students for immersing themselves in this award scheme, we are so proud of their achievements.