Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our recent awards: we have gained the Gold level of accreditation for Sustainable Travel and we hold the Silver level Eco Award.
In September we were the first school in our borough to have an energy audit conducted by the Local Authority’s Carbon Reduction Manager. Its findings have formed the basis of this year’s Energy Action Plan, including installing an Efergy meter to identify unnecessary energy consumption.
We recently fitted double-glazed windows to the rear of the school and used grants to install separate scooter racks, a new cycle shed, a large planter and a rock garden to encourage biodiversity.
Our partnership with Udayan school in India provides opportunities for cross-cultural activities and comparison, and we have much to learn from their sustainable endeavours.
Closer to home, children participated in ‘The Big Tidy Up’ and gained positive comments from the local community for their litter clearance from streets and verges. The Student Council consulted neighbours on parking near school; information was fed back to parents to demonstrate the impact of their behaviour, leading to a reduction in complaints about inconsiderate parking.
We work closely with the Council’s Safety Education team and have engendered a walk/cycle to school culture. Our Cycle to School day in May was hugely popular: the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team marked bikes, and a local cycle shop conducted health checks and minor repairs.
Children and parents enjoyed participating in ‘Switch-off Energy Fortnight’ and energy awareness is now included in the curriculum. The whole school learnt about renewable energy from BP and regularly take part in WWF’s Earth Hour.