SCHOOL NEWS: Energy backing for natural environment learning

SCIENCE and technology learning at a school near Ilminster has been energised by the purchase of renewable energy educational kits thanks to a £2,000 donation from the E.ON Energy Action Fund.

Staff and governors at Neroche Primary School have developed a unique ‘forest school’ area at its site in Broadway which is used to educate pupils across each of its seven classes about the natural environment.

They were keen to add to this some equipment to help demonstrate to pupils how renewable sources of energy like the sun and wind can be harnessed to heat water and generate electricity.

Using the funding from E.ON, the school has now been able to buy a set of wind turbine and solar thermal and photovoltaic educational kits. As well as investigating how the number of turbine blades and their angle affects the amount of electricity generated, the pupils are also using the solar equipment to experiment with different light conditions.

Neroche headteacher Connel Boyle said: “Our children are really curious about energy, particularly electricity conservation.

“These superb educational tools we’ve purchased with £2,000 awarded by E.ON are helping us to understand energy production and this is adding an important element to our environmental forest school curriculum. As a result, our children are becoming very efficient energy monitors!”

Suzanne Doxey, community relations manager at E.ON, said: “For a small school, the judges of the E.ON Energy Action Fund were impressed by Neroche’s ambition in wanting to build on the foundations of its forest school area and learn about renewable energy in such a hands-on way.

“All of E.ON’s community projects are intended to provide the support that groups tell us they need.

“It’s also heartening that this equipment and forest school area more generally will benefit the wider community, as local pre-schools and nurseries make visits to the school to take advantage of its facilities.

“I’d like to think  that the fully kitted out forest school area will help inspire an audience of two-four year olds before they even start school.”

Since 2013, the E.ON Energy Action Fund has given more than £108,000 to 65 community groups and charities in England, Scotland and Wales.

For more information on the fund, including when it opens for applications for 2017, please visit eonenergy.com/community .

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