Stanmore earns prestigious Green Flag

08 May 2026

Stanmore Public School has proudly achieved Green Flag status in the Eco-Schools program, the highest level of accreditation for environmental education and sustainability.

Stanmore Public School celebrated achieving Green Flag status in the Eco-Schools program. This is the highest level of accreditation in the program. Coordinated by Keep Australia Beautiful, the accreditation is internationally recognised for schools who demonstrate excellence in environmental education, sustainability and in student-led action.

Ms Val Southam, CEO and Executive Director of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW presented the award to the school. She reported that Stanmore Public School is one of just over 30 schools across the state who have achieved this level of accreditation. It is something that takes many years to achieve because it is a rigorous process which requires schools to complete seven steps and address at lease three sustainability themes.

The school commenced on this journey a number of years ago guided by the vision and leadership of Ms Annette Carruthers who led the school's Environmental Education Committee and formed the student Waste Warrior team. Our specialist Garden Teacher, Ms Tristen Cannell has been instrumental in educating all students about the importance of environmental sustainability, among the many initiatives that she has led, she led the school's Bee 'n' Bee highway project, coordinated the installation of nesting boxes for birds and native wildlife, supported students to design water wise systems including an aquaponics set up, and has initiated the planting of native plants throughout the school.

Ms Suzy Lesley led the sustainability sub-committee of the school's P&C, advocating for and supporting the work of the students and staff over many years. Mr Stephen Jackson was one of a team of parents who were the driving force behind the establishment of the school's Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program over ten years ago and he has constantly rolled his sleeves up in the garden ever since.

We thank all of these people for their dedication and commitment, as well as our teachers who have contributed to the Sustainability Committee over the years and of course our incredible team of student Waste Warriors.

Ms Southam's visit

Our student Waste Warriors welcomed Ms Southam to the school, giving her a tour of the garden and sharing their sustainability work, including an explanation of how the aquaponics system operates. During the visit, Ms Southam presented Stanmore Public School with the Eco-Schools Green Flag.

Stanmore Public School's Eco-Code

At Stanmore Public School we work together to take care of our natural and built environment. We know that our actions can affect the habitats, environments and resources around us, so we choose to make a positive difference.

We: