Polygon School Pupils Celebrate Renewal of Their Eco‑Schools Green Flag

This academic year, pupils at The Polygon have continued to demonstrate outstanding leadership in championing sustainability and inspiring meaningful environmental action across their school and wider community. Their passion, creativity and commitment to creating positive environmental impact have once again been recognised with the award of Eco‑Schools Green Flag accreditation.

Established in 1994, the Eco‑Schools programme has spent more than 30 years inspiring and empowering young people to become environmental leaders. Today, Eco‑Schools Green Flag accreditation is awarded in more than 100 countries, reflecting the programme’s global impact. In England alone, it reaches over one million young people each year, supporting them to take meaningful action and drive positive change for our planet.

Since The Polygon first began its pupil‑led sustainability journey in 2019, pupils have led a range of impactful projects, including working with SOS UK and introducing a re-wilding project to the school. As well as the Hampshire wetland trust clearing local rivers of rubbish and invasive crayfish.

This year, pupils built on their previous achievements by focusing their efforts on three key areas: Marine, Energy and Global Citizenship. Working collaboratively, they developed a detailed year‑long Action Plan to address these priorities. Their initiatives included planting a herb garden in the school grounds, each thoughtfully planned to support their school’s sustainability journey.

Speaking about their achievements, staff member Mrs Newman said, “The whole school has worked really hard this year on a number of different initiatives working hard to improve the school grounds and the local environment, working with a number of different outside agencies.”

Eco-Schools England Manager, Adam Flint, said: "Young people want to create meaningful change, and they have shown they are more than capable of doing so. Their efforts deserve recognition and should act as inspiration to us all. Our planet is already feeling the effects of climate change, pollution and waste, but young people across England have shown we do not have to accept this, a more sustainable future is possible.”

To learn more about the Eco-Schools programme and accreditation, head to www.eco-schools.org.uk.