PUPILS at schools in Reading have been helping to set up new installations for the flying wildlife of the town.
Students have been lending a hand at Alfred Sutton Junior School and Wilson Primary School, which have both seen habitats for birds and bats added to their sites.
It comes as Alfred Sutton completes a £1.1m project to replace its roof, which has now also seen swift boxes installed.
This marks the third roof replacement of Victorian school buildings in the borough, following Oxford Road and Park Lane schools.
Work at the 124-year-old school started in March last year and included the full replacement of the roof of the junior school, the addition of further insulation to reduce heat loss, masonry repairs to the chimneys and brickwork, as well as new doors and guttering.
Two swift boxes were installed as the finishing touches were being made, to aid nesting sites for our summer visitors which are now on the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.
At Wilson Primary in west Reading, preparations for the roof replacement works over three buildings found they provided day roosts for common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and brown long eared bats.
The council’s contractors, Borras Construction Ltd, are working with ecologists to ensure compliance with legislation to protect the bats, including training on what to do if bats are uncovered during the work and incorporating measures to allow the bats to continue to use the buildings.
Students have also been lending a hand in the design, decorating the boxes which have been installed.
Members of the school council also enjoyed a bat talk by the ecologist working on the site.
The improvements to both schools are part of Reading’s School Fabric Condition Programme funded by the Department for Education Schools Condition Grant.
As well as keeping the buildings structurally sound and prolonging their life, the improvements help save schools money on their energy bills.
Cllr Rachel Eden, Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, said: “These projects show how investment in our school buildings can be a win-win: making our beautiful Victorian schools warmer, safer and more energy efficient, while also helping with our journey to net zero.
“It is especially lovely that pupils at Wilson Primary and Alfred Sutton have been able to play a part, from decorating bird and bat boxes to learning more about the bats and swifts that share their school environments.
“By improving insulation, reducing energy use and supporting local wildlife, these works are helping our schools become better places to learn today while caring for the environment pupils will inherit.”
