Falcon British Nursery, close to Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, is proud to be the first nursery school in Abu Dhabi to be awarded the Eco Schools Green Flag.
The UK accredited nursery focusses on ecology, science, technology, engineering and maths and children have their own STEM lab and science teacher.
Falcon’s Eco Schools program started in Term 1 of 2018/2019 when the first eco team was created from students, staff, parents, suppliers and contractors under the eco coordinator. The Management, Eco Team and the Eco Warriors took the pledge to go single-use plastic free. Amelia Brown, the school’s principal said that the pledge meant Falcon changed their purchasing practices and stopped ordering single use plastic or Styrofoam items like cups, bowls, plates and cutlery for events, use in the classrooms and their student cookery kitchen. Falcon stopped using clingfilm, disposable plastic bags, foam and changed from plastic Q-tips and straws for art to card and paper. This supported the school’s UN Sustainability goals and made elimination of single use plastic one of the nursery’s Eco Schools action plan goals. Teachers and the Eco Team spoke to parents to ask them to change what they send in to school – reusable bottles and containers instead of single use bottles and throwaway containers, reusable cutlery instead of single use cutlery, reusable and fabric bags instead of plastic throwaway bags.
The Eco Coordinator Ms Narina explained that a fertilizer bin was purchased to create compost for the eco garden from organic food waste. Alongside this, Falcon invested in a hydroponics system for the STEM Lab for young scientists to grow their own food using water and in a vertical space. The eco garden created by the children with recyclable bird feeders and water trays encouraged animal biodiversity in the nursery. Children recycled waste in paper and plastic bins and this was collected every two weeks by a recycling company.
The eco warriors started monitoring water and energy consumption. Children have learnt to turn off taps while soaping hands, turn off lights when leaving rooms and how to check windows are closed when the air conditioning is on. An eco-fashion show was held to show that cool clothes do not need to cost a fortune or have a negative impact on the Earth. The children are thrilled to be part of a worldwide movement like Eco Schools. They love their new Green Flag received on 11th November 2019 and have shown it proudly to their parents. We would like to thank Eco Schools for the support and encouragement given during the last year.
