At Poulton, we are committed to building a sustainable future and helping our pupils understand the importance of caring for the world around them. Through our curriculum, daily routines and whole-school initiatives, we encourage children to make responsible choices, protect natural resources and develop a lifelong respect for the environment. Our approach ensures that sustainability is not just taught but lived—embedded in our culture, our classrooms and our community.
Our sustainability lead is our Headteacher, Mrs Gardner, who works alongside the school council lead, Mrs Ashby, to review our work and plan next steps to consider the following:
- Mitigation: reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere
- Adaptation: manage the effects of climate change that are already happening
- Nature-based Solutions: work with ecosystems to reduce emissions and increase resilience
- Circular Economy and Sustainable Consumption: reduce waste
- Curriculum Integration: build knowledge and resilience on climate change and sustainability
We believe that pupil voice is vital when shaping positive change within our school. When children contribute their ideas, they are far more likely to take ownership and follow through with meaningful action. Recently, our School Council met to discuss priorities for our Climate Action Plan. Their suggestions included:
- Increasing litter picking around school and promoting responsible disposal of waste
- Turning off lights when rooms are not in use and making better use of natural light, supported by a class “light monitor”
- Using classroom recycling bins correctly and ensuring waste is sorted properly
- Introducing more recycling options in the dinner hall, including exploring composting
- Planting a wider variety of species in the garden to attract insects, particularly bee-friendly plants
- Ensuring plants are cared for during the summer so they remain healthy
- Growing our own food as part of sustainable practice
- Keeping the garden tidy, welcoming, and suitable for growing produce and supporting wildlife
Some of these have been integrated into our Climate Action plan.
