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young innovation

Broadlands School - Bristol Zoo Gardens

Exciting ways to encourage three Rs - reduce, re-use and recycle
Year 8 students from Broadlands School in Keynsham paid a special visit to their partner Bristol Zoo Gardens in February and conducted a survey with staff and visitors to investigate the zoo’s waste and recycling practice. They are developing fresh ideas to help the zoo improve its waste management policy and practice, with special focus on the impacts of our lifestyles to wildlife.

Amanda Connell, head of humanities from Broadlands School said, “It is a great motivation for the students to have the opportunity to work with real business and know that their ideas about how to help the environment can be adopted to make a difference.”

Dave Naish, Senior Education Officer of Bristol Zoo Gardens said, “We are always striving to improve our environmental practice. It is a great idea to work with students and raise their awareness of the impact of our lifestyles on the environment and wildlife. At the same time, we are looking forward to getting creative ideas from these young people to help us improve our practice.”

St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School - Windmill Hill City Farm

Local Farm Shop and Healthy food education
Students from St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School are launching an educational campaign with Windmill Hill City Farm to help promote local and healthy food to its neighbourhood. In February, the students visited the farm shop and farm garden, and learnt about the link between the farm shop products and where they come from. The visit followed a series of successful workshops on sustainable business and local agenda 21 in October.

Director of Windmill Hill City Farm Bridget Primarolo said, “It is a great opportunity to work with a local school to promote local and healthy food. We strive to promote sustainability through the way we work and the products we provide, but it is not always an easy task. We hope these young people can help spread our message to the public through their original ideas and develop a real understanding of sustainable development principles.”

Simon Stevens, Assistant Headteacher of St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School said, “This is an exciting project that encourages students to think globally and act locally, and helps them understand that they can make a real difference.”

Ralph Allen School - Wessex Water

Sustainable Travel Plan
The Year 8 Environmental Project Group of Ralph Allen School is working on new ways to encourage staff members of their neighbour Wessex Water to travel to work in a sustainable way. By encouraging staff to walk, cycle or take public transport, the students hope to reduce the environmental impact of travel to Wessex Water.

“Our school and Wessex Water are both situated on top of a hill in Claverton Down and share the same transport problem. We would like to encourage more sustainable and safer ways to go to school and to work through this project,” said Dr Frank Martinelli of Ralph Allen School.

Wessex Water is renowned for its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. On the transport front specifically, the company runs a bus service with a bike rack between its office in Claverton Down and Bath City Centre, employs a car share scheme, and encourages environmental fuel use in its vehicles. It is currently looking at the potential for using bio-ethanol as an alternative environmentally friendly fuel, and has two electric bikes for staff use. Cath Nicholls, Wessex Water’s education advisor said: “As a company, we are always looking for new and innovative approaches to enhancing a sustainable approach to transport. We are delighted to be able to help encourage the students in their investigation of new ideas, and are looking forward to seeing their results and how they might be able to help us.”

The City Academy Bristol - Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects (FCBA)

Three-dimensional pavilion to promote sustainability
The City Academy Bristol is working with award-winning Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects (FCBA) to build a three-dimensional pavilion out of sustainable materials to promote the principle of sustainable construction. During the visit to the architects’ office in January, students learnt about the ongoing architecture projects, worked with the architects on model making, and came up with creative ideas and impressed the architects with their Design and Technology skills. FCBA is renowned for its holistic approach to environmental design in architecture and its commitment to sustainability.

Beechen Cliff School - University of Bath

More recycling on university campus
After an inspiring visit to the campus of the University of Bath, year 9 students of Beechen Cliff School are in full swing to help the university improve its recycling practice. The students are developing ideas to raise awareness among both staff and university students and encourage more recycling on campus. They have conducted a survey on campus and are now researching on user-friendly recycling facilities and developing a colourful exhibition to showcase the issues of waste and recycling.

The university has recently successfully launched a new recycling scheme in its halls of residence and would like to encourage more recycling on campus.

Norton Hill School - Forest of Avon Products

Promoting sustainable wood products
Through workshops and visioning sessions, students of Norton Hill School are helping Forest of Avon Products on their new plans of the development of the Timber Station, and creating an advertising and awareness raising campaign for the Wood Products Co-op. Click here for picture story.

St Mark’s School - Avon Valley Cyclery (AVC)

A sustainable move – a relocation project
Students from St Mark’s School and helping Avon Valley Cyclery (AVC) work out a new floor plan and a publicity programme to prepare for the potential relocation of the shop. AVC, located behind the train station, has been at their present premises for 11 years, but was advised that they may have to move in a few years’ time due to the redevelopment in the area. Director of AVC Richard Grigsby says,” We will have to develop a new floor plan to make sure we make best use of the new space and resources in an sustainable way, and reduce the business’ environmental impacts. We would like to ask the students to help and start planning for the changes.”

Oldfield School - Cricket Farm

Farming and education
Oldfield School students, in their colourful Wellingtons and waterproofs, spent an interesting day at Cricket Farm where they learnt about pig farming, community composting, farming technology and the changes of farming in Britain. The students are now developing ideas to help the farm promote its new educational facilities and encourage more young people from schools and community groups to learn about our food and nature through farm visits.

Whitefield Fishponds Community School - Pieminister

A share of the pie
Students from Whitefield Fishponds Community School are joining force with award-winning Pieminister to develop a new gourmet pie to promote healthy eating and sustainability in Bristol. The students are visiting the gourmet pie shop and its kitchen to find out how the business operates, and learn from Pieminister director and chef Tristan Hogg on product development – from sourcing ingredients to developing recipes, marketing to packaging.

Matravers School - LaFarge Cement UK

Encouraging biodiversity through building a sustainable lake
Students from Matravers School are going to design a second fishing lake for LaFarge Cement UK after a visit to the cement works and a wildlife workshop at the current fishing lake with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The students are going to take into account various factors in their design – from looking after the needs of the users to encouraging biodiversity.