The schools are the first in the UK to join the groundbreaking Eco-Management Audit Scheme (EMAS), which explores the impact a school has on its environment and then asks pupils and teachers to find different ways of safeguarding their surroundings.

So far 17 primary and 1 secondary school have completed the scheme - with support from national environmental charity Environ, Leicester City Council and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit - undertaking everything from saving power by switching off lights to litter picking, recycling paper and in one case, installing a wind turbine.

And with news that money from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund - amounting to around £200,000 - will now continue until March 2006, Environ hope that a further 32 schools will now be able to take part in the project.

Karen Letten, Senior Education Officer at Environ, said: “It’s a fantastic project. It’s the kind of thing we need to be doing, educating our children for the future and all the schools have responded brilliantly to the challenge.

“We’re delighted to have received continued funding and hope that by working with another 32 schools we will have covered most of the schools in Leicester within the Neighborhood Renewal Area”

Schools committed to the project carry out an environmental audit looking at issues such as recycling paper, use of energy, litter issues, caring for wildlife in the school grounds, purchasing policies and methods of travel to school and then the pupils themselves draw up an action plan which becomes an integral part of the activities of the entire school community. This is also supported by continued work with school management groups.

As part of their involvement in EMAS, staff and pupils at Eyres Monsell Junior School - who have already introduced recycling bins and turned children in to ‘eco-warriors’ to defend their school grounds - are currently seeking funding to put a wind turbine on their Simmons Crescent site.

Once installed the small wind turbine will be linked to their electricity system, taking a percentage off the energy bill and when the school does not require the energy, it will be put back into the national grid.

Said head teacher Sally Morrison: “I wanted the project to be an inspiration, something a little bit different that would grab the children’s imagination.”

She added: “The EMAS scheme is just a way to engage children in learning about the environment. After all they are going to be the citizens of the future and they’re going to take over the running of this planet.”

The original programme, funded by Leicester City Council, was undertaken by Whitehall Primary, Sparkenhoe Primary, Avenue Junior, Mayflower Primary and The Lancaster (Secondary) School, The next programme, funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, included Abbey Primary, Rushey Mead Primary, Bridge Junior, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary, Shenton Primary, Rowlatts Hill, Eyres Monsell Primary, Mowmacre Hill, Woodstock Primary, Braunstone Frith Junior, Marriott Primary, Beaumont Lodge Primary and Catherine Junior Schools.

Alan Helliwell, Partnership Development Manager for Leicester Local Strategic Partnership, said: “We’re very pleased to see the success of the scheme and its continuance. The environment is a key priority for the Leicester partnership and this scheme forms an important part of an overall approach to improving the quality of life for the people of Leicester.”