The OVO Foundation Nature Prize

The Polygon School supports young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Its students came across the OVO Foundation Nature Prize when researching potential competitions to enter as part of the design and technology club.

Their winning idea was to create items in lessons that would encourage wildlife onto their school grounds, such as bird boxes and bug hotels. Alongside this, they planted wildflower seeds to support pollinators such as bees, and cleared the allotment to start a food growing area that students can use.

The students took the lead on the project, from filling out the application form to project design and implementation. Gail Newman, DT teacher and Eco-Schools Lead, has been overseeing the project. She says: “I’ve just kept the cash and facilitated buying the items and given [the students] a bit of guidance, but they’re the ones that have pushed and made all the decisions. It’s been really good to see them take control of a project.”

The students decided to design smaller bird boxes to encourage robins and blue tits rather than magpies. Due to this, they have seen an increase in the number and variety of birds visiting the school grounds. The students have also shown an increased interest in wildlife around the school and have seen that, even in an urban environment, there is lots of it they can support.