Lincolnshire schools urged to join the Woodland Trust’s fun-filled scheme

Green rewards with the Green Tree Schools Award: Lincolnshire schools urged to join the Grantham-based Woodland Trust’s fun-filled scheme

The Woodland’s Trust’s free and innovative environmental scheme for schools makes learning “fantastic”, bringing focus, freedom and fun to the classroom – say the best people to judge it – some of the hundreds of thousands of children who have benefited from it across the UK.

“My favourite bit was when we got to find the animals and also make animal home with mud and twigs. We found the animals, showed them to the teachers and put them back, It’s really fun being outdoors.” Poplar Farm School pupil

Sign up, earn awards, learn about nature, woods and wildlife AND get free trees for your school.

Green rewards with the Green Tree Schools Award: Lincolnshire schools urged to join the Woodland Trust’s fun-filled scheme

A Lincolnshire school inspired by a groundbreaking national environmental award scheme – which has seen more than two million UK children learning about woods, wildlife and nature – has urged other schools to get involved too.

More than a third of all UK schools have already joined the Green Tree Schools Award to learn about the environment in a fun, practical way – and every school is invited to take part.

Poplar Farm Primary School in Grantham, Lincolnshire is one of thousands of schools to have signed up to the UK’s largest conservation charity’s inspirational scheme and they soon started completing simple green activities, such as nature walks, tree-planting or recycling, to gain points and earn bronze, silver and gold awards.

The initiative, run by Lincolnshire-based woodland conservation charity the Woodland Trust, celebrated its 15th anniversary last year and there’s no better time to join the fun than during National Tree Week, which is on from now until Sunday, 1 December.

“The curriculum can be heavy so the children really appreciate being outside in the fresh air, and also the practical way of learning,” explained teacher Faye Anderson from Poplar Farm School in Grantham.

In the East Midlands almost 600 schools have registered for the GTSA over the past 16 years, with 141 in Lincolnshire – of which 27 have achieved the silver award or above.

Across central England more than 7,000 schools have signed up to the scheme, with 2,657 schools at bronze level and above. There are 484 with gold awards and 88 at platinum.

“They just love being outdoors; it’s a huge thing. And especially with the lifestyle now, children and families don’t necessarily go outside so often so this gives them the chance.

“The children love exploring the different areas we’ve created. They love mud, they love bugs. They love having that freedom of being able to explore learning on their own rather than being teacher-led.

“And they don’t just do it in learning time. These areas are all open and free and ready to use during break times.”

The Green Tree Schools Award offers a huge range of benefits, including getting children involved in nature and doing wonders for their mental health and wellbeing.

Poplar Farm has been linking activities that the pupils are doing with GTSA challenges and has been allocating points. The initiative has done wonders for students when it comes to mental health and wellbeing, with den building and woodland walks particularly fun and rewarding.

Woodland Trust school engagement manager Karen Letten has big ambitions for the scheme: “I want every UK school to be a Green Tree School.

Take part in the Green Tree Schools Award – Woodland Trust

Free Trees for Schools and Communities – Woodland Trust

“Signing up and taking part is incredibly quick, easy and totally free. And there’s a host of interesting activities and challenges to take part in – both in and out of the classroom. It’s not just planting trees. Even schools with very little outdoor space can get involved and progress through the awards.

“But, from woodland visits to tree parties and planting trees, getting involved in nature is a pivotal experience for children. And we know that they very often remember this well into adulthood.”

And for any school that wants to plant trees, the Woodland Trust can help there too – with millions of trees given to schools and community groups every year. All a school needs to do is apply for as many saplings as they can accommodate. The charity and its funders will do the rest.

The free tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners Sainsbury’s, Lloyds Banking Group, OVO, Sofology and Simplyhealth.