Devonshire House School won the Education Choices Award: Supporting Sustainability
At Devonshire House School, it is clear that sustainability is woven into the fabric of the community through innovative initiatives to make sustainability an integral part of school life: eco-ambassadors, waste warrior, vegetarian VIPs, repair week, sewing club, terra cycling, walking and cycling to school schemes and encouragement towards global sustainability efforts.
https://educationchoicesmagazine.com/education-choices-awards
Our primary objective is to make sustainability an integral part of everyday school life, ensuring that students at all levels are actively engaged in reducing waste, conserving energy, and making environmentally conscious decisions. Specifically, we aim to:
- Foster student leadership in sustainability through programs like Eco Ambassadors and Waste Warriors.
- Embed sustainability across the school life so that every student understands the impact of their actions on the environment.
- Engage in actionable, hands-on initiatives that promote waste reduction, energy conservation, and sustainable travel.
- Promote community involvement through local partnerships and global climate action efforts.
Our approach is multi-faceted, blending education with action-focused initiatives. Here are key activities and strategies:
- Inspiring Pupil Leadership:
- Students take on leadership roles, such as Eco Ambassadors who educate younger students about recycling, and Waste Warriors, who monitor correct waste disposal at lunchtime.
- The Vegetarian VIPs encourage classmates to explore plant-based diets by sampling vegetarian meals and sharing the environmental benefits.
- Embedding Sustainability Across the Curriculum:
- Sustainability is introduced early in the curriculum, with Nursery students learning about deforestation and plastic pollution through storytelling and hands-on activities like creating posters encouraging waste reduction.
- As students progress, they take part in active projects, including litter-picking and Switch It Off Fortnight, which encourage them to track energy usage and waste reduction. These projects give students practical experience in environmental stewardship and foster a deeper understanding of how their actions contribute to broader sustainability goals.
- Action-Focused Initiatives:
- Repair Week and Sewing Club teach students about reducing textile waste by repairing clothes rather than discarding them. This initiative encourages creative problem-solving and highlights the importance of reusing and extending the life of materials.
- TerraCycling is introduced to collect recyclable materials like crisp packets, promoting a zero-waste ethos. Students actively engage in this initiative, learning the importance of recycling non-traditional items and reducing landfill waste.
- Active Travel and Cleaner Air:
- Our school promotes walking and cycling to school, or when not possible, to use Park and Stride through different initiatives such as Walk to School Week (https://x.com/DHSPrep/status/1669292177350950913) and Bikeability courses. These initiatives encourage students and families to opt for more sustainable modes of transport, reducing congestion and air pollution around the school.
- The school’s location on Lyndhurst Gardens, as part of Camden’s Healthy Schools Street trial, helps reduce traffic and pollution around the school gates. By restricting traffic during peak times, we are creating a safer, cleaner environment for students to walk or cycle to school.
- Community and Climate Action:
- Our students take part in global sustainability efforts, such as World Water Day, where they participated in a non-uniform day, raising funds for Project Waterfall, a Camden-based charity that supports clean water access in communities around the world. This event not only raised awareness but also encouraged students to take direct action in support of global environmental causes.
- We collaborate with local organizations, such as Camden Clean Air and Green School Runs, to improve air quality and safety in the community. Through student participation, we help shape local environmental initiatives, advocating for cleaner air and safer routes for walking and cycling.
- Sustainability Across the School Environment:
The introduction of a new School Waste Facilities Guide helps students and staff manage waste effectively. This guide provides clear instructions on how to separate food, non-food, and recyclable materials, ensuring that everyone in the school community plays an active role in reducing waste.
Our sustainability efforts have had a tangible impact on both the school environment and the wider community:
- Waste Reduction: Through initiatives like the Waste Warriors and the Sewing Club, we’ve reduced waste and promoted recycling. Students have become more conscious of waste reduction, with clear improvements in sorting waste and reusing materials.
- Energy Conservation: The Switch It Off Fortnight has led to noticeable reductions in electricity usage, with students taking active roles in monitoring and improving our energy consumption.
- Active Travel: Participation in Walk to School Week and the Park and Stride initiative has reduced car use around the school, contributing to lower emissions and cleaner air.
- Community Engagement: Our collaboration with local groups and charities has raised awareness about global and local sustainability issues. Project Waterfall raised over £368 for clean water initiatives, and students have directly contributed to improving local traffic conditions through partnerships with Sustrans and Camden Clean Air.
- Student Leadership and Awareness: By embedding sustainability into the school’s ethos, our students have become advocates for environmental change, taking ownership of projects and continuously looking for new ways to reduce the school’s ecological footprint.
In the future, we plan to build on these results by developing our Climate Action Plan (CAP) and further expanding our sustainable practices, ensuring that sustainability remains at the heart of our school community.
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If you are interested in joining Devonshire House School, don’t hesitate to contact us here.
