During your eight serial days, you should gather this information, by observing, speaking to class teachers and other colleagues, interacting with learners, reading school policies, and any other appropriate activities. You should consider and identify the most appropriate ways(s) to record this information.
Mapping of school grounds/area.
Playground and School Building
Ground floor map of School
First floor image of School
Evidence of existing engagement with sustainable education within the school such as garden area, recycling bins, litter picking ‘wardens’, bird boxes, and so on.
There are multiple bins situated all around the school, inside and out to allow children to recycle. The children are encourgaed to recycle within the class, this is usually encouraged by the eco committee member in the classroom. the schools eco committee meets every week to discuss any matters reguarding recycling or issues within the school or playground usually littering. There is an opportunity of children to litter pick during their lunch or first break however this is not required, it is something they must volunteer to do.
Consideration of actual play space for children and its suitability.
My placement school has a nursery inside of it which can be sen in the grounds map (the first block of building with fenced off garden) inside the nursery playground, they have wooden games and activities for children to play. However, the school playground is mostly concrete with some games painted on the ground, there is also a large Astroturf pitch that the children have a rota for. Although my school was very eager to recycle and take care of their playground there are no other signs of sustainable development in the playground.
Discussion with children on these aspects of sustainable education.
Myself and my placement partner were able to meet with two primary 3 pupils who discussed with us the importance of recycling and the schools policy on recycling. The children were able to take class time and create posters, banners and whatever they felt necessary to create their own protest. The children protested about littering and the importance of recycling. While the children were doing this others were going around the school litter picking, ensuring any reachable materials were being separated so to go straight in the recycling bins. The children also taught us about some of the negative aspects of litter, information that they had leaned in class regarding how littering does not only affect us but also animals and their habitats.
