Sustainability

1. Decarbonisation 
Reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency across school (infant and junior buildings).

Action to be taken:

● Complete an energy audit: Conduct a full audit of the school’s energy consumption using data from electricity and gas usage.
● Smart Energy Upgrades: Complete project to install LED lighting across the school, focusing on classrooms initially.
● Printing – Transitioning to Riso printing as a more environmentally friendly alternative to toner ink printing.
● Printing – encourage less printing as a whole school initiative. Set default printing to black and white and remind staff not to photocopy from buff paper.
● Reduce Waste: Introduced paper recycling boxes in all classrooms, offices, staff room and kitchen, successfully recycling paper waste.
● Eco Habits: Introduce weekly and daily energy conservation schemes, for instance ‘St Michael’s Switch-Off’ encouraging pupils and staff to actively reduce energy consumption in a day. Eco monitors to spend time at break and lunch to turn off lights and IWBs.
● Summer ‘walk to school’ week – to conduct a travel survey / encourage walking to school.
● Target – Reduce energy consumption in the infant building, with the aim of achieving a “D” rating for our annual Display Energy Certificate (DEC).
● Litter picking – Relaunch Litter Picking initiative with pupils.

2.Adaptation and Resilience

Ensure the school site  Is prepared for climate related risks, especially  flooding and overheating

Action to be taken:

• Evaluate Rainwater Diversion Systems: Ensure guttering and drainpipes are cleared and water management systems are effective, ready for heavy rain.
• Cooler Classrooms: Install window blinds in areas without.
• Install sail shades on Infant and Junior yards.
• Rainwater Harvesting: Fit water butts and reuse rainwater for the garden areas.

 

3.Improving the Environment and Biodiversity

Enhance the school’s  green space and promote diversity with  student involvement.

Action to be taken:

• Sensory/ Faith Garden Development: Create a reflective outdoor prayer and nature spaces for worship and wildlife, in the junior playground. 
• Planting of laurel bushes: Partner with chair of governors to develop area along perimeter fencing.
• Planting of flowers: Introduce more plants and flowers  around the site liaising with grounds maintenance.
• Forest School: Develop forest school area encourage  use.
• Develop community allotment in forest school area.

4. Climate Education  and Green Careers

Deliver climate education across the  curriculum and inspire  pupils towards green  futures.

Action to be taken:

• Complete a curriculum audit.
• Curriculum Mapping: Integrate sustainability principles into Science, D&T, Geography and RE – to make explicit through coding.  
• Staff CPD: Sustainability lead to undertake CPD to develop subject knowledge in this area. Hold a briefing to feed back to staff. 
• Eco Week: Hold an annual sustainability awareness week. Host workshops led by pupils and develop units of work specifically focused on environmental themes  (Literacy Counts has writing units linked to environment).

• Careers Focus: Invite visitors from green industries and charities to speak to pupils during Aspire & Achieve week.  
• Pupil Voice: Establish the St Michael’s Eco Club to shape decisions and lead eco initiatives.
• Sign up for Nature Park – and promote use of  resources.

5. Governance and  Monitoring

Action to be taken:

• Leadership: Establish Eco link Governor.
• Termly meetings held as a Sustainability Team to  check in on progress against objectives.  
• Community Involvement: Engage families, parish groups, and local partners in events and volunteering.
• DfE Updates: Monitor publications from the Department  for Education, including the statutory requirements for  schools engaging in climate and sustainability action.