Student teachers must:
Embrace locally and globally the educational and social values of sustainability, equality and justice and recognise the rights and responsibilities of future as well as current generations.
Value as well as respect social, cultural and ecological diversity and promote the principles and practices of local and global citizenship for all learners.
Demonstrate a commitment to engaging learners in real world issues to enhance learning experiences and outcomes, and to encourage learning our way to a better future.
(Standard for Provisional Registration with GTCS, benchmark 1.1)
- Mapping of school grounds/area.
- Evidence of existing engagement with sustainable education within the school such as garden area, recycling bins, litter picking ‘wardens’, bird boxes, and so on.
In my placement school, the have not fully engaged with sustainable education this year. There are no recycling bins in or out with the classroom and there are no designated pupils to part take litter picking at break time or lunch time. Although there is an eco-committee in place and the pupils are aware of this, they are unsure of who is in the committee and what the committee have achieved so far this year suggesting that it is non-functional at the moment.
The school is home to a garden which was used regularly last year. It was kept by a gardening club that ran at lunch and afterschool. During the summer holidays, the garden was redecorated and thus the new plants were not planted by the pupils. Since the summer the garden has yet to be used but it there to be used if you wish.
As a class project the class were set homework to make bird boxes and bird feeders to engage with sustainable development. The children did enjoy this task and produced sturdy bird boxes and feeders. However, it must be questioned if the child made the bird boxes themselves.
- Consideration of actual play space for children and its suitability.
o What opportunities are there for exploration, development, challenge etc.?
o How is this space used?
The Early Learning Centre has a separate play space equipped with a climbing frame, Wendy house and a soft padded ground. The play space used by the primary classes, consists on one large playground that wraps around the school which all primaries have access to. there is a fence surrounding the playground which prevents children from leaving the school and keeps them safe from the equipment used in the housing development. There are various set ups available such as goal posts, a painted court and games (for example hopscotch) and a small obstacle course. There are also benches and tables available. There are no bins outside but the children eat their social snack inside before break, perhaps to avoid littering in the playground. There is currently a housing development next to the school but this does not affect the play space.
- Discussion with children on these aspects of sustainable education.
Pupils do not fully engage with sustainable development and have a limited awareness of eco-friendly policies or show no awareness of themes such as climate change. They are aware of the existence of an eco-club but do not engage with it. However, after Christmas and throughout term three, pupils will be exploring the topic of natural disasters which they are looking forward to. This will have an element of sustainable development embedded in it and will also explore climate change, developing an awareness of this topic.
