Temple Ewell CE Primary School:
Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School sits in an idyllic location, nestled in a picturesque valley on the outskirts of the historic port of Dover. It is a popular and friendly school at the heart of the village and make every effort to involve the entire community in all that they do. They signed up for the Blue Influencer scheme in January 2025 and are passionate about making a difference to nearby Blue Spaces, including the wonderful nearby Kearsney Abbey with its two ornamental lakes and myriad of water fowl.
From River Guardians to Chough Champions: Temple Ewell Takes Flight
If rivers could talk, the pupils at Temple Ewell Primary School would probably have quite a few questions for them.
Throughout their Blue Influencers journey, Year 5 and 6 pupils became environmental guardians, investigating the River Dour and discovering why healthy rivers are so important for both wildlife and people. Visits to Kearsney Abbey with the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership transformed classroom learning into real-life exploration, with freshwater habitats full of fascinating discoveries waiting just beneath the surface.
The pupils didn't stop at learning, they took action.
After researching issues affecting their local environment, they designed two youth-led campaigns focusing on responsible fishing and reducing cigarette and vape litter around waterways. Working with a student filmmaker Daisy, from Canterbury Christ Church University, they then turned their ideas into short environmental films, learning camera, interviewing and editing skills along the way.
Let's just say there may have been a few future wildlife presenters in the making.
By creating their own films, pupils became confident advocates for nature, sharing important messages with classmates, families and the wider community. They proved that young people don't have to wait until they're older to make a difference.
The project also marked the beginning of something even bigger. Inspired by their growing confidence and enthusiasm, the group began developing the Chough Champions initiative in partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust. Their environmental journey is continuing through storytelling, conservation and helping celebrate the return of one of Kent's most iconic birds.
Temple Ewell's Blue Influencers didn't just learn about protecting nature they discovered that their own voices can help protect it too. And that's a lesson likely to last far longer than any school term.
In today’s session, we explored the world of youth led social action and how it can address important local issues! Here’s a quick summary:Jenny Luddington, Blue Mentor
What we covered:
Importance of Social Action: How taking action can create positive change in our communities.
Brainstorming Projects: Students had a go a designing their own social action projects focused on specific local issues.
Collaborative Planning: Teams worked together to plan their projects, set tasks, and define goals.
Activities we enjoyed:
"I Am a Tree": A fun drama based activity that got everyone thinking creatively— making nature themed tableaux round animals and environments (bird, dog, river, etc.).
Designing Projects: Students brainstormed ways to address these local issues such as littering, smoking, and illegal fishing. Ideas ranged from community litter picking to writing articles/blogs and creating posters to raise awareness!
What went well:
A few great project ideas emerged: more bins, campaigns around illegal fishing and community clean-up!
Next week, we’ve planned a visit to meet Martha Noakes, the Fresh Water Officer for White Cliffs Countryside Project - get ready to learn more about local water issues!
