Pupils band together to tackle fly-tipping scourge near their school

A committee of children in Tooting are taking action to address continual fly-tipping near their school. 

The seven-strong group from Smallwood Primary, in Smallwood Road, have come together and written to Wandsworth council after seeing rubbish on the streets almost every morning on the school run.  

The school has set up a number of committees as part of its Junior Citizenship programme to encourage independence of mind among their pupils. These engage in topics such as the environment, mental health, human rights and anti-bullying initiatives.

This committee is made up of Ben Lort-Phillips, Oliver Gulliford, James Clarke, Ariz Yahora, Annabel How, Esme Lewis-Crosby and Chloe Callaby. 

There have been frequent incidences of fly-tipping within a few feet of the entrance to the nursery and reception buildings, leading to concerns that it may only be a matter of time before a child injures themselves on a sharp object abandoned on the street. The rubbish often contains broken glass, food waste and other hazards.

The young students are calling on the council to address the existing issue of fly-tipping and to put in place measures to prevent it happening in the future. 

The staff at Smallwood School place a priority on their children being equipped to become responsible citizens as well as maximising their learning potential.

The staff have supported the children in writing their letter to the council.

Fiona Loudon, headteacher at Smallwood School, said: “We are so proud of these children for identifying this issue that affects their daily lives, and taking action to fix it.

“Many of the children at our school have to walk past unsightly, unhealthy, and potentially dangerous fly-tipping on their way to and from school, so taking steps to address this not only benefits the children in their daily lives, but also encourages them to learn about their responsibilities to their local community as they grow up.”

Ben, in Year 4, said: “I often have to walk by open bin bags, or avoid broken glass and old furniture that someone has dumped on the pavement or by the school. I think it is really important that everyone tries to stop leaving rubbish out on the street.”

The staff and pupils at the school are hoping that their initiative to raise awareness of the issue may encourage more people in the local community to take action to clean up the streets in the surrounding area. 

Rosie Gulliford, a parents to one of the pupils on the committee, said: “It’s so important to show our children how to be proactive, and not just sit back and accept what happens in the society around them, especially when it has such an impact on their daily life.”

The children are awaiting a response from their letter to the council.

Pictured top: The anti-fly-tipping committee at Smallwood (Picture: Smallwood Primary)