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What was planned?

The New Opportunities fund has part funded a project in North Kirklees called NEWTS (Nature & Education Working Together at School). This is an organisation which offers Environmental workshops linked to the curriculum.

What was done and when?

NEWTS provide activities for children between the ages of 3-16.  Workshops can include up to 15 children depending on ability.  Full classes can take part with a teacher or classroom support worker. The activities can be tailored for special needs children in groups of up to 6.  The type of activities offered include both activities for children and training for teachers such as:

• Hands on environmental work like pond dipping and mini beast hunts.
• Arts and craft workshops to follow up practical workshops.
• Advice on how to improve your school grounds to provide an outside classroom.
• Help for schools in achieving the Eco-SCHOOLS Award.
• How to set up a wildlife group to access additional funding.

What has the impact been?

Young people have been involved in a variety of projects designed around recycling, investigating plant life cycles, building ponds and wildlife areas. Each project has been tailored to take advantage of the local school environment and the age of the children. These projects have complemented the school’s curriculum and School Development Plan aims and so have proved very popular and extremely useful and relevant to other areas. Each school has created an ECO file with many working towards the School’s Eco Award for Sustainability. Some have set up wildlife groups to access additional funding.

Work carried out has led to several prestigious awards including Yorkshire Electric/Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Conservation Award and Eco-Schools Green Flag Award. The project also worked in conjunction with The North Kirklees Watch Group which was voted Best New Group in the country in the year 2000 and Best Group 2001 (Northern Region).