Sustainable School

Becoming a sustainable school

April 2010 Newsletter

The future holds many challenges for young people: climate change, obesity and global poverty are clear examples. Humankind’s current model of development is placing an increasing burden on the planet. In order to secure the future of children all over the world, we need to make a decisive move towards sustainable development.

Young people have a high stake in the future. Some of them may live to see the 22nd century. We don’t know what that will be like except that it will be very different from today. Some fuel reserves may be exhausted. The polar ice-caps may have melted. World population may have doubled. And much more of Africa may have become a desert. On the other hand, some people may benefit from dramatic improvements in medicine, and drive silent emission-free cars. Amid the potential dangers are fantastic opportunities.

Our school has a special role to play in preparing your children for this future. As a place of learning we can help pupils to understand our impact on the planet and encourage them to weigh up the evidence themselves. As models of good practice, we can offer young people the chance to contribute to sustainable living, and demonstrate good practice to others. Empowering our pupils to take responsibility for their own future is not only desirable… it is a crucial feature of their education.

There are eight sustainability themes or ‘doorways’ which are areas where schools are encouraged to establish or develop their sustainability practices. These fall under the following categories:

• Food and drink (TWGSB menu for daily main meals)
• Energy and water
• Travel and traffic
• Purchasing and waste
• Buildings and grounds
• Inclusion and participation
• Local well-being
• Global dimension

If you have any experience in one of these doorways we would be extremely pleased to hear from you. Eventually the aim is to create a committee for each, essentially run by pupils but with input from staff and parents.

For further information contact Rachel Lovera
Sustainable Schools Coordinator