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Run by Keep Britain tidy on behalf of Defra, the Eco-Schools programme is an international award scheme that encourages children and teachers to make their school more environmentally-friendly and sustainable. By following a simple seven step process covering themes ranging from litter and waste, to health-living and biodiversity, schools work towards gaining Bronze, Silver and the highest level Green Flag.

Mr Benn said:
"I'm delighted to see the initiatives that have helped Long Eaton School achieve Green Flag status in the Eco-Schools scheme.

"Schools have an important part to play in helping young people to build a greener future for us all - and it's young people that will lead the way in creating a healthy environment for future generations.

"It's a huge achievement that so many schools across England have achieved Eco-School status and demonstrated their commitment to an environmentally-friendly future."

Phil Barton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, which runs Eco-Schools in England, said:
"To reach the stage where more than half of England's schools are registered as Eco-Schools is a remarkable achievement and a great testament to pupils and teachers across the country.

"Long Eaton School is an excellent example of how taking part in the scheme can add a new dimension to children's education and provide them with vital ecological knowledge to take into later life.

"As the world becomes increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability, I believe that Eco-Schools will play an even greater role in equipping the next generation to meet the challenges of the future."

The Government's goal is to see every school being a sustainable school by 2020. In practice this means integrating high standards of achievement and behaviour including the goals of healthy living, environmental awareness, community engagement and citizenship; many of the aspirations set forth in Every Child Matters.

A National Framework has been established to guide schools towards this aim, by introducing eight doorways through which they may choose to initiate or extend their sustainable school activities. It focuses on ways in which sustainable development can be embedded into whole-school management practices and provides practical guidance to help schools operate in a more sustainable way. Being an Eco school helps schools to make progress against several of these doorways due to the framework having interconnected themes.

Schools in the UK spend on average £100million pounds on electricity; £106million on water; £39million cleaning up litter and stopping vandalism; £56million on emptying bins and £150million on paper and school stationary every year (Keep Britain Tidy).