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Education for Sustainable Development (E.S.D.)
Allyson Crew
E.S.D. Coordinator
This post was created in January 2008. Objective 3 of the School Strategic Plan outlines a plan which will enable our school to become sustainable within 3 years, achieving Eco-Schools awards along the way.
What do we mean by ‘sustainable’?
Sustainable development means finding solutions that improve people’s quality of life without damaging the environment & without storing up problems for the future. Sustainable development is a way of thinking about our lives & work (including the education system) so that we don’t destroy our most precious resource – the planet. A sustainable school places pupils & the school community at the centre of its efforts to build a culture of care. Care also involves taking responsibility. If we all take this on board there is greater ownership in & commitment to, the schools success. Sustainable development helps to inspire pupils & teachers & gets parents & others involved in activities to improve the school.
The government expects schools to respond to the challenge by empowering young people to lead sustainable lives & by becoming models of good practice for their communities. At Petersfield Infant school we are following a system chosen by the National Framework to support schools in becoming sustainable. This is based around 8 areas called Doorways. Some doorways we are already familiar with - others may be totally new to us. The doorways are all interlinked with Food & drink at the core as it affects us as individuals. Buildings & Grounds, Purchasing & Waste, Travel & Traffic, Inclusion & Participation all affect us at school level, Local Well Being affects us at a community level and Global Dimension is looking at the bigger picture.
So, what have we been doing so far?
Spring Term 2008:
An Inset training session launched the new school objective to become a Sustainable School
Summer Term 2008:
The first whole school waste free lunch challenges was held.
Drum Housing spent a day in Year 2, working on recycling, social awareness locally & global awareness.
Autumn Term 2008:
Cooking For All scheme began in all year groups, parents were invited into school to share lunch with their child.
Packed Lunch Promises were sent out to all families.
Green Cones were installed and friut and paper towels were composted.
Our school became involved with E.H.D.C., promoting their ‘Love Food, hate Waste’ campaign.
Bronze Eco-Schools award was achieved!
Spring Term 2009:
The whole schol were involved in Energy Week and took part in WWF's Earth Hour.
Our school was featured on the WWF Earth Hour website!
'Join Your Child For Lunch' scheme was promoted across the school, encouraging families to share a healthy school dinner or waste free packed lunch with thier child.
Summer Term 2009:
Action plan for Doorway 3 (Travel and Traffic) was drawn up by staff and all previous doorways were reviewed. School participated in national Walk to School week. Governors began working on a revised Travel Plan for the school. School wins Gold award for best school/youth project and Gold award for best Environmental project in this years Petersfield in Bloom Awards.
Silver Eco-Schools award was achieved!
Autumn Term 2009:
Governor assigned to look at energy effeciency.
Cooking For All scheme runs for the second year.
Spring Term 2010:
School (2nd) Annual Energy Effeciency Rating improves from an 'F' to a 'D'!!
'Join Your Child For Lunch' scheme runs again in every class.
Summer Term 2010:
Joint Sustainability display with Herne Junior School was launched in the town library to show joint practices and joint commitment to becoming sustainable schools.
The School Council spend 3 afternoons working with Lesley Price, a Hampshire Education Officer working with 'Recycle for Hampshire', learning how to recycle more & produce less waste in school.
Our school goes straight into third place on the 'Recycle for Hampshire' Schoools Leaderboard & soon after gets first place!
Our school wind first place in the Petersfield In Bloom Awards for best school/youth project for the 5th year & first prize for best environmental project for the 2nd year.
Autumn Term 2010:
Staff create a 2010/11 Action Plan for the year ahead, encompassing all the things we have begun over the past two and a half years, as well as some new initiatives to take the school even further forward.
Our school wins the 'Recycle for Hampshire' School Leaderboard award for 2009/10. The school is sent a recycling game & a recycling story book for the library.
Staff & children create an Action Plan for the year ahead
'Cooking for All' is run for the third year across the school.
We did it!!
We have now achieved the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award!!
Two Eco-School Assessors visited our school at the end of term who felt 'the school was incredibly proactive'
in all areas of sustainability.
This award is the culmination of 3 years focus on making our school sustainable and joining the other 15 schools in Hampshire who share this award really is the icing on the cake!
2011 News!
Damian Hinds M.P. came to visit our school and raised our Eco-Schools Green Flag!
Our Eco-Schools Green Flag was finally raised in May 2011 by Damian Hinds M.P. Mr Hinds was joined by members of the Governors and the District Council as well as the Directors of Agincourt Contractors Ltd, who kindly supplied and fitted our wonderful flagpole.The whole school came out to sing in the sunshine and watch the flag being raised.
Watch a video of some of the ceremony:
If you would like to be more involved with sustainability at our school, please contact me! If you would like to find out more about sustainability, why not look at the websites below.
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Sustainable Schools
Nationally |
Sustainable Schools
in Hampshire |
Recycle for
Hampshire |
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Eco Schools
Website |
WWF
Earth Hour |
Edible Playgrounds | | 
