We’re incredibly proud of the amazing sustainability work happening in Mickley First School! Our dedicated Climate Action Teams have been hard at work implementing plans to help limit our collective impact on the planet and teach the students about the importance of caring for the environment.
Here is a summary of what we have been up to:
Planting, growing and biodiversity
- Apple and pear trees were planted around the hall to help purify the air and combat climate change.
- We grew our own vegetables, such as carrots, beans, cabbages, and potatoes with student involvement.
- Using recycled pallets and donated wood, we’ve created a living wall and herb garden with rosemary, thyme, lemon grass, and chives, providing a sensory experience for children.
Reuse, recycling and waste reduction
- A Book Swap Shop was organised for World Book Day to promote reuse and reduce waste.
- Compost Bins are used for food and kitchen waste, reducing landfill use and enriching the soil.
Water and energy conservation
- Water Butts have been installed to collect rainwater for watering plants, mud kitchens, and other outdoor activities, reducing the reliance on tap water.
- An Energy Audit has been conducted by our ‘planet protectors’ to encourage energy-saving habits and awareness of electricity use.
Sustainable travel
- Walk to School Challenge Week encouraged our students to opt to walk for their commute to reduce car emissions whilst promoting healthy choices.
- Scoot2School Fridays welcomes active travel to reduce car emissions and improve air quality.
Education and awareness
- Green Careers Day allowed our students to participate in exciting workshops learning about sustainable careers, making turbines, and understanding energy generation.
- We share our sustainability efforts through social media, newsletters, and assemblies to inspire broader action.
We look forward to continuing to engage in more activities to work towards a more sustainable environment.
In recognition of our continuous efforts towards being a sustainable school and our fantastic forest school initiative, our pupils were delighted to receive a Bronze Woodland Trust Green Tree Schools Award. The prestigious award is one of four awards that can be awarded to schools; we’re looking forward to working towards the Silver Award in the Summer term.
Continuing on the theme of sustainability, we recently formed a dedicated Climate Action Team. The team will be in charge of cutting down energy consumption, promoting sustainable activities, reducing waste and ensuring we are reducing our schools’ environmental impact wherever possible.
Alongside this, we have been taking steps to renew our Climate Friendly Schools certification – an initiative designed to complement the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Strategy. In being a part of Climate Friendly Schools, we gain access to expert support, resources, lesson plans and a host of other benefits designed to support us in becoming more climate-friendly.
In addition, back in December, Catherine Kirkpatrick carried out a Climate Friendly Schools Audit, focusing on what we are doing currently and identifying 10 new actions we can take moving forward.
So far this year, our staff and pupils have already taken massive leaps towards all 10 of our new actions; including exciting changes to our school grounds in the form of tree planting, looking to the future with Green Careers Day, a Swap Shop for books and a the creation of a Living Wall to contribute to our fantastic Forest School.
We wish to extend a huge thank you to the whole school community for their continued support on this, we really couldn’t have done it without the support of our fantastic students, staff, parents and volunteers.
Headteacher Mr Andy Hudson shared “We are delighted to play our part, however small, in helping find ways to reduce the impact of climate change and help our pupils learn how they can play an important part in creating an environmentally sustainable future for everyone. We are proud to have completed all of our actions in quick time and we are already planning even more ambitious changes across school.”
We’re looking forward to enjoying our fantastic outdoor facilities during the Summer term while continuing our mission to be more environmentally friendly.
