What is Eco-Schools?

The Eco-Schools Programme encourages pupils to engage with environmental and sustainable development issues. It provides a highly structured system for the environmental management of schools. It is based on the ISO 14001 process. Topic areas include Litter, Waste Minimisation, Transport, Healthy Living, Energy, Water, School Grounds for people and wildlife and Global Citizenship.

Pupils take key roles in decision-making and participation in order to reduce the environmental impact of the school. In this way, Eco-Schools extends learning beyond the classroom and develops responsible citizenship attitudes both at home and in the wider community.

The Eco-Schools International Green Flag, awarded to schools with high achievement in their programme, is a recognised and respected eco-label for performance in Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. The Eco-Schools programme is a long-term activity, with the award being re-assessed and renewed every two years.

Eco-Schools are distributed throughout all 22 Welsh Local Authorities, and include a broad range of Infants, Primary, Secondary and Special Needs schools. There are presently over 1500 registered Eco-Schools in Wales with 275 schools having achieved green flag status.

The Eco-Schools Process

The seven elements of the Eco-Schools Programme include the establishment of an Eco-Committee – the driving force of the project. This is made up of pupils, staff, governors and parents who then ensure that the other six elements are implemented, and encourage the involvement of all members of the school community. The school then undertakes an Environmental Review, implements an Action Plan , integrates it with the curriculum, evaluates progress and monitors improvement. They must also involve and inform the wider community. Finally, the pupils produce and display their ‘ Eco-Code' , a statement of their environmental stewardship and commitment to the programme. Decision making by the pupils is one of the key elements of the programme. The ‘inclusive' principle within the Eco-Schools framework allows a wide range of organisations to act as supporting partners.

The scheme continues to expand rapidly and has received support from Welsh Local Authorities together with ACCAC, ESTYN and environmental organisations including the Countryside Council for Wales , RSPB, WLGA, Prince's Trust Cymru, and The Healthy Schools Network. These bodies also help to provide a network of assessors throughout Wales.

All material is available in both Welsh and English and is provided free to registered schools.

The scheme was developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and is managed in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy. The Eco-Schools Programme is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, Countryside Council for Wales , and Waste Awareness Wales.  

Beth yw Eco-Sgolion?

Mae'r Rhaglen Eco-Sgolion yn annog disgyblion i gymryd rhan mewn materion sy'n gysylltiedig â datblygiad amgylcheddol a chynaliadwy. Mae'n darparu system strwythurol uchel ar gyfer rheolaeth amgylcheddol mewn ysgolion. Mae'n seiliedig ar y broses ISO 14001. Mae topigau'n cynnwys Sbwriel, Lleihau Gwastraff, Trafnidiaeth, Byw'n Iach, Ynni, Dwr, Tiroedd Ysgol ar gyfer pobl a bywyd gwyllt a Dinasyddiaeth Fyd-eang.

Mae disgyblion yn chwarae rôl fawr mewn gwneud penderfyniadau ac mewn cymryd rhan er mwyn lleihau effaith amgylcheddol yr ysgol. Drwy wneud hyn, mae Eco-Sgolion yn ymestyn y dysgu tu hwnt i'r ystafell ddosbarth, ac mae'n datblygu agweddau cyfrifol sy'n ymwneud â dinasyddiaeth gartref yn ogystal ag yn y gymuned ehangach.

Mae Baner Werdd Ryngwladol yr Eco-Sgolion, a ddyfarnir i ysgolion sydd wedi cyflawni'n uchel yn eu rhaglen, yn label-eco adnabyddus, ac yn un sy'n cael ei barchu ar gyfer perfformiad mewn Addysg ar gyfer Datblygiad Cynaliadwy a Dinasyddiaeth Fyd-eang. Mae'r rhaglen Eco-Sgolion yn weithgaredd hirdymor, ac mae'r wobr yn cael ei hailasesu a'i hadnewyddu pob dwy flynedd.

Mae Eco-Sgolion wedi cael eu gwasgaru drwy bob un o 22 Awdurdod Lleol Cymru, ac maen nhw'n cynnwys ystod eang o Feithrinfeydd, Ysgolion Cynradd, Ysgolion Uwchradd ac Ysgolion Anghenion Arbennig. Ar hyn o bryd, mae dros 1500 o Eco-Sgolion cofrestredig yng Nghymru, ac mae 275 wedi ennill y statws baner werdd.

Y Broses Eco-Sgolion

Mae saith elfen y Rhaglen Eco-Sgolion yn cynnwys sefydlu Eco-Bwyllgor - y grym tu ôl i'r project. Bydd yn cynnwys disgyblion, staff, llywodraethwyr a rhieni sydd yna'n sicrhau y gweithredir y chwe elfen arall, ac sy'n annog holl aelodau cymuned yr ysgol i gymryd rhan. Yna, mae'r ysgol yn ymgymryd ag Adolygiad Amgylcheddol, yn creu Cynllun Gweithredu, yn ei integreiddio i'r cwricwlwm, yn gwerthuso datblygiad ac yn monitro gwelliant. Mae rhaid iddyn nhw hefyd ymrwymo a hysbysu'r gymuned gyfan. I gloi, mae'r disgyblion yn cynhyrchu ac yn arddangos eu ‘Côd Eco' , datganiad byr o'u stiwardiaeth a'u hymrwymiad i'r rhaglen. Mae penderfyniadau gan y disgyblion eu hunain yn un o elfennau allweddol y rhaglen. Caniatâ'r egwyddor ‘fframwaith' sydd y tu ôl i Eco-Sgolion i amrywiaeth o fudiadau fod yn bartneriaid cefnogol.

Mae'r cynllun yn parhau i ehangu'n gyflym, ac mae wedi derbyn cefnogaeth gan Awdurdodau Lleol Cymru, ynghyd ag ACCAC, ESTYN a sefydliadau amgylcheddol. Mae rhain yn cynnwys Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru, RSPB, CLlLC, Prince's Trust Cymru, a'r Rhwydwaith Ysgolion Iach. Mae'r cyrff yma hefyd yn helpu i ddarparu rhwydwaith o aseswyr drwy Gymru gyfan.

Mae'r holl ddeunydd ar gael drwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg yn ogystal â'r Saesneg, ac fe'u darperir am ddim i ysgolion cofrestredig.

Datblygwyd y cynllun gan y Sefydliad ar gyfer Addysg Amgylcheddol (FEE), ac fe'i rheolir gan Cadwch Gymru'n Daclus.

Ariannir y Rhaglen Eco-Sgolion gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru, Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru, a Chynllun Craff am Wastraff.