Great Clacton C of E Junior School has been awarded £6,774.61 from Essex County Council’s Climate Action Challenge Fund to help the school regenerate a disused pond and restore wildlife.

A disused pond area at a Tendring junior school will be brought back to life, thanks to Essex County Council’s (ECC) Climate Action Challenge Fund.  

Great Clacton C of E Junior School will use a total of £6,774.61 of grant funding from ECC to restore the pond area, helping children to learn more about the natural environment and develop a love of nature.

Once the pond has been restored, the school plan pond working parties during the weekends and holidays, helping the wider school community, staff, children and their families to enjoy the pond and its wildlife.

Great Clacton C of E Junior School is a church school and part of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust. The school has 318 children aged between seven and 11 years old and 40% of the pupils are from disadvantaged families.   

The new pond will allow children to pond dip and learn about the eco-system, the surrounding wildlife, and looking after the natural environment.  The pond will also provide the local community with a new facility for events in nature. 

The school will be holding a public opening ceremony and plan to highlight the project at the Tendring Show through an educational exhibition, and in the local paper. 

The school is also joining the Tree Council’s Young Tree Champions project next autumn and have entered the Woodland Trust Green Tree Schools award - aiming to achieve the Gold award by July 2023.

Emma Sweeney, the Forest School and Outdoor Learning Lead at Great Clacton Junior School, said: “It is important for children to learn about nature and the world around them, they are the future generation. Teaching children about nature and its impact on the environment and climate change at a young age, can only have a positive effect on the future.

“We are all looking forward to restoring the pond as a community project and are delighted that we have received funding to make this possible.” 

Cllr Peter Schwier, ECC’s Climate Czar, said: “I am delighted to award Great Clacton Primary School a cheque following a successful Essex Climate Action Fund application, which will allow the complete restoration and improvement of a school pond.

“This will help inspire and highlight the importance and understanding of the value of our natural world and environment to the children, teachers and even parents.”

This project is one of many approved for funding from the Climate Action Challenge Fund.

The £500,000 Climate Action Challenge Fund was created to support local action on climate change and it closes in March 2023 or whenever funds run out, whichever is sooner.