From a rooftop nature oasis to mini forests – schools in the  South East win nationwide nature prizes

Twenty-five winning schools across the UK have received funding to boost nature projects on their grounds and increase students’ connection with nature, seven of which are in the South and South East of England including in East and South East London, Croydon, Luton, Ramsgate, Essex and Southampton.

The Nature Prize, run by Let’s Go Zero, and funder OVO Foundation, has awarded schools that are engaging students with nature and supporting less advantaged children and wider communities to get involved in climate action. Let’s Go Zero is the national campaign for all UK schools, colleges and nurseries to be zero carbon by 2030, led by climate solutions charity Ashden.

Cash prizes of up to £1,000 each have been awarded to projects involving food growing, community collaboration, and outdoor learning. The projects help schools create biodiverse-rich environments for students to learn from and connect with nature.

10 schools have won £1k to undertake their nature projects (three from the South East), and 15 will be given £200 (four from the South East). The winning schools span England, Scotland and Wales.

Su Moore, Head of OVO Foundation said: “OVO Foundation are proud to continue supporting the Nature Prize. Through the inventiveness and diversity of the funded projects, we’re truly able to see our mission of a greener, brighter future for the next generation come to life.”

Alex Green, Head of Let’s Go Zero Campaign, which is led by climate solutions charity, Ashden said: “These 25 schools have put forward incredible plans to boost the biodiversity in their schools and make sure students have beautiful places to learn, connect with nature and share with their communities. We were so impressed by their plans and enthusiasm and hope they inspire other schools to do the same.”

Winners in the South East of England…

The Rooftop Nature Oasis – Chestnut Park Primary School, Croydon, London: £1,000

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Photo: Children at Chestnut Park Primary School in Croydon are excited to start transforming their roof.

With no onsite green space, only a single Tarmacked playground, Chestnut Park Primary School in Croydon will transform a rooftop area into a nature oasis. The area will include a covered outdoor classroom, planters for food production and wildlife habitats, bug and bee hotels, reading pods and weather stations. The prize money will be combined with funding from other grants to create this multi-functional green space that the school hopes will inspire other inner-city schools to be creative with the space they have.

The Planting and Crafting Days Project – Blackfield Primary School, Southampton: £1,000

Blackfield Primary School are on a mission to increase nature access for their students and instil them with a sense of environmental responsibility. They will create a pollinator garden and mini forest area, complete with wildlife homes and shelters. The wider school community will be invited in for a series of planting and crafting days, where they will build bird houses, bug hotels and hedgehog shelters from scratch.

The Food and Pollinators Project – St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School, London: £1,000

To help families access fresh produce and reduce food insecurity, St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School in East London, is creating a dedicated food growing area for the whole school community. Alongside food growing, students are eager for the garden to be a home for wildlife, and are installing insect hotels, bird feeders and native plant zones to boost the biodiversity. To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the role they play in our eco-system, and why they need conserving, students will install educational signage around the garden.

The Rain and Carbon Capture Project – Kelvin Grove Primary School, London: £1,000

As part of a student-led environmental audit at Kelvin Grove Primary School in Lewisham, London, school council members are turning a disused part of the school campus into a thriving nature pond and self-sustaining green wall. They are already working with Froglife to create the pond and will use the prize money to buy climbing plants for the living wall and underwater plants for the pond itself. As well as being a valuable learning tool for the students, the project will have adaptation benefits through improving carbon and rainwater capture.

The Worm Waste Composting Project – The James Hornsby School, Essex: £200

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Photo: Looking forward to growing trees from school lunch compost – students at James Hornsby School in Essex.

Students at The James Hornsby School, Essex want to develop a holistic system for composting the food waste produced on site. They will begin by composting uncooked vegetable waste in their new worm composters, before using the compost on the school’s newly planted trees – a clear demonstration of a circular approach to waste!

The Reclaiming Unused Space Project – Newlands Primary Academy, Ramsgate, £200

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Photo: Students from Newlands Primary Academy in Ramsgate celebrate their Nature Prize win to create a specialist nature area for SEND students.

Newlands Primary Academy in Ramsgate, Thanet is transforming a disused space into a calm, nature filled area for their SEND students, particularly those who find mainstream classrooms difficult. Students will take charge of designing and monitoring the space, choosing planting that encourages plenty of visiting wildlife.

The Green Skills Garden – Avenue Centre for Education, Luton: £200

Staff at Pupil Referral Unit Avenue Centre for Education not only want to raise students’ awareness of environmental issues but also give them the skills they need to pursue an environmental career. They will use the prize money to buy tools and equipment for food growing, as well as a family planting event where students can share their newly learnt skills with family.

Let’s Go Zero and OVO Foundation bring more than 37,000 children closer to nature

The OVO Foundation Nature Prize is part of OVO Foundation’s Climate Changers programme launched in 2022.

Over the last three years, 75 schools taking climate action through the competition have brought more than 37,000 children closer to nature. This year saw record number of entries.

OVO Foundation Nature Prize Winning schools:

£1k winners​

St Elizabeth Catholic Primary School, London​
Chestnut Park Primary School, Croydon​
Blackfield Primary School, Southampton​
Parsons Heath CofE Primary School, Colchester​
Co-op Academy Stoke-on-Trent, West Midlands ​
Stanton Vale Special School, Derbyshire
Coten End Primary School, Warwick​
Bugle School, Cornwall​
Bridgewater Primary School, Newcastle ​
Elfed High School, Flintshire​
£200 winners ​

Newlands Primary Academy, Ramsgate​
Avenue Centre for Education, Luton​
Kelvin Grove Primary School, London​
The James Hornsby School, Essex
Dudley College, West Midlands
Manor Park Primary Academy, Birmingham​
Selkirk High School, Scotland​
Park Community Academy, Blackpool​
Scholes Village Primary School, West Yorkshire
Co-op Academy Portland, Wirral​
St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, Manchester​
Ebbw Vale Learning Community, Ebbw Vale, Wales
Ysgol Bryn Deva, Connah’s Quay, Wales​
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Bodmin​
Fawley Infant School, Southampton​