Learning Through Nature: Ysgol Caer Drewyn

What did you do and how did you involve the whole school?

Building on last year’s bee project, we focused on climate change and improving our school grounds to support learning, wellbeing, and biodiversity. Our biodiversity officer produced a report to guide us, and from this, we worked with Denbighshire County Council to plant a new hedgerow. This developed into wider tree planting across the school estate, local town, and even at the base of Caer Drewyn. We also planted flowers and continued caring for our wildflower meadow to encourage wildlife.

With support from Learning Through Landscapes, our Eco-Council completed a climate survey using tools like a rain gauge and anemometer, funded through a grant. Staff received training to embed these tools into outdoor learning so that all pupils could take part.

Junior classes also joined a Curlew Project, working with external partners to raise awareness about protecting curlews. Activities included model making, painting stones for a local trail, storytelling events, and presenting their work at Chirk Castle. This led into taking part in the RSPB Big Birdwatch and creating bird feeders to attract and survey local species.

Our wider environmental work includes regular litter picks, recycling initiatives, and eco assemblies. Our school ‘senedds’ (pupil voice groups) help share ideas across all ages, and we use Seesaw to keep parents informed and involved.

 

How has the project impacted on your school and your community?

The project has deepened our understanding of local bird species and how to protect them, including their food chains and habitats. By sharing this knowledge with the community, we’ve raised awareness beyond the school. Improving our school grounds has boosted local biodiversity and created meaningful outdoor learning opportunities for all pupils. It’s also encouraged us to revisit core eco values, like reducing water use and improving recycling.

Our allotment, built last year, continues to help pupils learn where food comes from, supported by our gardening club and outdoor lessons. The grounds now attract more wildlife, sometimes even before we harvest our crops! As our trees grow, so too will the long-term impact of our efforts on both nature and education.

 

How did you celebrate success and what are your next steps?

We celebrated the Curlew Project by taking part in a special event at Chirk Castle and sharing our painted stones trail on local social media, which received positive feedback from the community. Looking ahead, we plan to continue developing our school grounds using the recommendations from the Denbighshire Biodiversity Team and Iestyn Thomas. This includes applying for a new grant to add more raised beds in our Foundation Phase area, helping us further support biodiversity and outdoor learning.