From the Principal:
The School’s Eco Panel is making rapid progress. At the end of last year they organised an “Eco-Day” and raised awareness about climate change as well as £250, with which they bought five acres of Ecuadorian rainforest. In 2009 they were awarded the Eco-Schools' Bronze Award and in 2010 they qualified for both the Eco-Schools' Silver Award and the City Council's Enviroschools' Gold Award. Here is some information about what they have done and what they hope to do in the future.
ECO-PLAN OF ACTION
Our main target is to reduce the school’s carbon footprint, which we will measure annually. Specific targets are:
(i) to regularly review and pursue the objectives we set ourselves for the Silver and Bronze Awards.
(ii) to raise money and awareness by holding an Eco Day of Action: this took place on October 6th 2009. We encouraged all the students to travel to school in a more environmentally friendly way. For example, one pupil who lives in Durham cycled in to school with his father despite the somewhat less than perfect weather conditions. We also encouraged everyone to reduce their own carbon footprint and add their resolutions to the pledge tree in the foyer. We ran a competition to guess how long it would take our own polar ice cap to melt (our block of ice took 124 hours to disappear).
(iii) to lobby the school to adopt email for all school communications with parents by the end of 2010.
(iv) to put “Switch it off !!” stickers next to all lights and electrical appliances by the end of 2009 (done).
ACTION TAKEN IN ACHIEVING THE SILVER AWARD
SILVER CRITERIA
PROGRESS
The school has identified an Action Team which has met on at least four occasions.
Done. We have a weekly meeting.
The Action Team includes a parent and/or governor representative.
Done. We have a parent and a governor representative.
The Action Team has completed a formal Environmental Review and has recorded the results.
Done. The school’s energy use was covered by the Carbon Trust inspection of 2008 and our transport was reviewed by some 2010 market research.
The Action Team has produced a detailed Action Plan (including timescales and targets) and shared the plan with the rest of the school community.
Done. Our main target is to reduce the school’s carbon footprint, which we will measure annually. Specific targets are (i) to review annually and pursue the objectives we set ourselves for the Bronze Award, (ii) to raise money and awareness by holding an Eco Day of Action (done), (iii) to lobby the school to adopt email for all school communications with parents by the end of 2010, (iv) to put “Switch it off!” stickers next to all lights and electrical appliances by March 2010. The plan has been shared with the rest of the school community.
The Action Team can demonstrate progress towards achieving at least two elements of the Action Plan.
Done. Figures from the Bursar indicating the school’s gas and electricity consumption are being published annually. The objectives we set ourselves for the Bronze Award have been reviewed.
The school can identify progress towards one large-scale project and indicate involvement with two others. ‘Identify progress’ means that the school has an understanding of the project topic and recognises its importance to sustainable development within the school environment and the wider community.
Done. An Eco Day of Action was successfully held, with good publicity gained and £248 sent to the World Land Trust. The Principal has said he intends to move towards 100% email coverage in the near future. A”Switch it off!” sticker competition was held, two designs were chosen and the stickers have gone up all over the school.
The school has a prominent, designated notice board, web pages or newsletter which details Eco-Schools activities.
Done. We have an Eco-Panel notice board and a web page on www.dameallans.co.uk..
The school has informed parents and the wider community about the work being undertaken by the school in relation to Eco-Schools.
Done. Parents were directed to our webpage by the Principal’s end-of-term newsletter, while the school was informed of our plans and progress via two assemblies delivered by the Eco-Panel.
The school can indicate that some environmental issues have been covered within curriculum work in most year groups.
Done. Environmental issues are covered within curriculum work in all year groups, particularly in science, geography and psychology.
The school has agreed, adopted and displayed an ‘Eco-Code’.
Done. We have drawn up an Eco-Code and the school adopted it at two assemblies delivered by the Eco-Panel. It is now in every form and teaching room.
