Framlingham College Prep School is proud to announce that its “Agents For Change” initiative has gained national recognition. FCPS was “highly commended” in The Green Award for Environmental Achievement in the Independent School Parent magazine’s Independent Schools of the Year 2018 Awards.
The winners and “Highly Commended” schools were announced earlier this week after the judges met to decide on the 17 award categories from over 250 entries received. In a highly competitive “Environmental” category, Framlingham College Prep School stood out as a key player in the industry for its recycling initiative and Agents for Change student body.
The judging panel, comprising of leading figures from across the sector, scrutinized every entry and enjoyed reading stories of transformative and innovative projects in schools from Scotland to Cornwall. They were delighted by the positive and public response to the awards, which were held to celebrate the quality of the student experience in British independent schools. What the entries to the awards showed was an independent school sector that is truly thriving; from small rural preps through to senior schools which are household names.
Agents For Change was set up just over a year ago by three pupils at Framlingham College Prep School with the intention of implementing change in their own community and in the wider world. They quickly started to make an impression, writing letters to Sky TV about online gambling, to the Director General of the BBC about the gender pay gap, to Donald Trump’s school in America about the Paris Climate Agreement and to their local MP about recycling. The group next focussed their efforts closer to home by requesting a meeting with Framlingham College Operations Manager to discuss sustainability at both the Senior and the Prep Schools. As a direct result of their activism the school no longer uses any non-recyclable cups and cutlery with diners at both schools now using washable cups, metal cutlery, china mugs and glasses. Every pupil now carries a water bottle provided by the school and all staff have been issued with a reusable branded thermos cup. Blue recycling bins have been sited in every classroom in the school and larger recycling bins have been placed in the courtyards at both schools ensuring pupils can dispose of all the waste paper and cardboard they accumulate.
AFC featured on BBC Radio Suffolk and then on BBC’s local flagship news show, Look East.
Headmaster, Matthew King, said:
“We are delighted that our Agents For Change have been recognised in such a prestigious competition. In big and small ways these children set out to make a difference in their school, in their community and ultimately in the world. It is exciting that their hard work is creating ripples and I know the recognition will encourage them to set their sights even higher in the future.”
