Ashden Winners

Eastchurch Primary School / Good energy housekeeping

Area of work:

Renewable Energy, Sustainable Buildings

Region: UK

Awards Year: 2006

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The 2006 Ashden Award to Eastchurch Primary School recognised how it had developed a culture of good energy housekeeping amongst young pupils.

Eastchurch Primary serves three villages on the Isle of Sheppey. Although there is seasonal employment in tourism, this is a relatively poor area. Since 1998, the school has improved the efficiency of the fabric of the buildings, and encouraged the careful use of energy.

A 3 kWp photovoltaic array was installed in 2005.

In 2010, 390 pupils benefited from learning about sustainable energy in the curriculum.

A group of year 4 pupils form the 'E-team', who visit classrooms to check lights, appliances and doors, and to record observations.

"If you save energy, you won't have to pay a lot of bills and everything. It's good to save energy because if we use too much of it, it runs out."

Year four pupil

Update: what happened next?

The Ashden Award fund was used towards a 6 kW wind turbine, which was installed during the Easter holidays in 2009, and officially opened (to the accompaniment of steel drums!)
in July. EDF and other sponsors co-funded the turbine.