3rd December 2008: Polesden Lacey Infant School, in Great Bookham, Surrey, has been ‘Highly Commended’ by The National Energy Efficiency Awards, which celebrate the achievements of individuals and their organisations in significantly reducing energy use, and thereby helping to combat climate change.

Polesden Lacey was awarded the accolade in the ‘Education & Awareness Raising’ / ‘Schools & Colleges’ category at a prestigious awards ceremony on 2nd December at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for engaging its pupils in the issue of climate change through its use of the WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker site. The website allows visitors to follow the movements of selected polar bears and learn more about projects that are taking place and the affect climate change is having on the Arctic environment.

One area on the site, the Canon Kid’s Zone, proved to be particularly popular with pupils from Polesden Lacey Infant School. Designed for the younger audience, the microsite uses a series of games and activities to explain the links between the way we live our lives, climate change and the plight of the polar bear. The microsite, developed by Canon, a world leader in digital imaging and Conservation Partner of WWF since 1998, also provides parents and teachers with downloadable worksheets, factsheets and teaching plans to fit in with various aspects of the national curriculum and to help with development in maths and science.

“We were working towards the Eco-Schools bronze award and wanted a more effective way of engaging the children and helping them to understand more about climate change and why it was important for them to try and make a difference,” said Head Teacher, Mrs Keedy. “Using the micro site has made it easier to engage the children – they’re turning into real Eco-warriors.”

“Using the site has helped the pupils to understand the links between local action and global issues” said Andy Vickers, Managing Director of Canon UK. “The school has also managed to overcome one of the main challenges of inertia – the pupils at Polesden Lacey now understand why they are recycling, why their school plans to build a greenhouse out of plastic bottles and why they are creating a school sensory garden”.

Since integrating the WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker site into its day-to-day teaching, as well as adopting projects such as changing the type of tap used in the school to reduce water consumption, Polesden Lacey has now achieved its Eco-Schools bronze and silver awards. It is now working towards its Green Flag Award and focusing on different projects in the coming months, including gardening - the school aims to produce more vegetables for the schools kitchens next year – and the installation of a wind turbine.

Polesden Lacey was awarded the accolade in the ‘Education & Awareness Raising’ / ‘Schools & Colleges’ category at a prestigious awards ceremony on 2nd December at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for engaging its pupils in the issue of climate change through its use of the WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker site. The website allows visitors to follow the movements of selected polar bears and learn more about projects that are taking place and the affect climate change is having on the Arctic environment.

One area on the site, the Canon Kid’s Zone, proved to be particularly popular with pupils from Polesden Lacey Infant School. Designed for the younger audience, the microsite uses a series of games and activities to explain the links between the way we live our lives, climate change and the plight of the polar bear. The microsite, developed by Canon, a world leader in digital imaging and Conservation Partner of WWF since 1998, also provides parents and teachers with downloadable worksheets, factsheets and teaching plans to fit in with various aspects of the national curriculum and to help with development in maths and science.

“We were working towards the Eco-Schools bronze award and wanted a more effective way of engaging the children and helping them to understand more about climate change and why it was important for them to try and make a difference,” said Head Teacher, Mrs Keedy. “Using the micro site has made it easier to engage the children – they’re turning into real Eco-warriors.”

“Using the site has helped the pupils to understand the links between local action and global issues” said Andy Vickers, Managing Director of Canon UK. “The school has also managed to overcome one of the main challenges of inertia – the pupils at Polesden Lacey now understand why they are recycling, why their school plans to build a greenhouse out of plastic bottles and why they are creating a school sensory garden”.

Since integrating the WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker site into its day-to-day teaching, as well as adopting projects such as changing the type of tap used in the school to reduce water consumption, Polesden Lacey has now achieved its Eco-Schools bronze and silver awards. It is now working towards its Green Flag Award and focusing on different projects in the coming months, including gardening - the school aims to produce more vegetables for the schools kitchens next year – and the installation of a wind turbine.

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