Our pledge to sustainability
We firmly believe in a future where people and nature thrive together. It’s our mission to make LEH more sustainable by inspiring our pupils and empowering them to play a key part in the changes happening at school.
We’re proud to have been awarded our second Eco School Green Flag and have a five-part action plan, developed with assistance from our ‘Eco Squad’ made up of pupil representatives from every form.
As part of our plan to increase Biodiversity and the use of our school grounds, a Woodland Trust initiative saw us plant 60 new trees and increase the use of the Nature Garden and hedgerows in lessons to engage pupils in their learning.
Our Ecology and Gardening clubs have regenerated the school pond and created wildflower areas to attract insects in our Nature Garden, as well as creating five-star accommodation for wildlife with our Big Bug Hotel and Hedgehog Homes.
As part of our target to reduce plastic waste we have introduced a wrapper free policy for snacks and banned single use plastic bottles in packed lunches. Pupils take part in litter picking sessions to keep the school pond and the local river, which runs through our school grounds, spotless. Every day our Energy Monitors remind everyone to turn off lights, screens and computers, while in Geography, pupils learn about where food comes from and Fair-Trade organisations. National green days such as Big Spring Clean, 30 Days Wild and Big Battery Hunt, are regularly celebrated.
The Eco Committee inspire other pupils by running assemblies and showcasing achievements on the Eco update board. Every Form room has classroom plants and pencil shaving boxes for composting. They serve as a constant reminder that small but effective actions can help provide a more sustainable future for all.
So far we have:
- Added nine new animal homes to school grounds (bird boxes, hedgehog homes, bumblebee homes and a bug hotel).
- Installed two additional bird feeders.
- Reduced the amount of packaging being binned in school by 1,000 pieces per week.
- Reduced our food waste.
- Composted ½ ton of fruit waste (skins, apple cores etc.).
- Created 50m2 of wildflower meadow.
- Won a TfL STARS Gold Award for encouraging pupils to walk, scoot or cycle to school
Every week on social media we share an Eco tip of the week to our wider community. Pupils learn and become inspired through the knowledge shared in newsletters, noticeboards, enrichment talks and assemblies promoting the work of our Eco Committee whilst also linking our action plan to other aspects of school life. We are proud of the changes our pupils have led and the difference they are making, but there is still so much work to accomplish, and we look forward to more green initiatives in the coming years with future LEH Junior pupils.