Lights go out at Hartlepool primary school to boost eco awareness

It was lights out at a Hartlepool school when the classrooms were plunged into darkness.
Throston Primary School pupils spending the day by torchlight, as part of an Eco day at the school.Throston Primary School pupils spending the day by torchlight, as part of an Eco day at the school.
Throston Primary School pupils spending the day by torchlight, as part of an Eco day at the school.

But, the power cut at Throston Primary School had nothing to do with getting behind on paying the bills.

The non-electrity day was part of an eco fortnight at the Flint Walk school to encourage the children to think about how they can go greener and save energy on a daily basis.

Throston Primary School pupils Charlie Hughes, George Todd and Maisie MacRae.Throston Primary School pupils Charlie Hughes, George Todd and Maisie MacRae.
Throston Primary School pupils Charlie Hughes, George Todd and Maisie MacRae.
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Abby Davies, a class teacher and eco leader at the school, said the children were excited to take part in the event and eager to give living without electricity a go.

She said: “We already have a green school award, so as part of this we are always looking at ways of improving.

“For two weeks we have been concentrating on energy saving.

“The children have been monitoring the lights, making sure they are switched off, and learning about energy saving and how important it is to be careful with what we have got.”

Throston Primary School pupils Charlie Hughes, George Todd and Maisie MacRae.Throston Primary School pupils Charlie Hughes, George Todd and Maisie MacRae.
Throston Primary School pupils Charlie Hughes, George Todd and Maisie MacRae.

As part of this work, the school agreed to go one step further and have a day without electricity.

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Although the school office and the kitchen were allowed to operate as normal, the rest of the school had to find alternative ways to operate without the use of electricity.

This meant a day with no computers, whiteboards or tablets and the teachers even had to go back to the old fashioned way of taking the register with a list of names and a pen.

Ms Davies said: “It was a great way for the children to really appreciate how much we rely on electricity in our everyday lives.

“We wanted them to think about how much we use it and what it would be like if there was ever a time we didn’t have it.”

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She said all the youngsters and staff got on board, with adults even having to go without a kettle for a brew throughout the day.

Across the school the staff and students brought in torches, candles and battery-operated lamps to do their work by in case it was a very dark day.

As part of their studies the children also had to think about alternative ways to do things if there was no power, such as what they would do for entertainment if they couldn’t watch television or play computer games.

Ms Davies said they are also using a monitor to calculate exactly how much electricity and money they will have saved during the non-electricity day.