Slindon College recognises the global challenges associated with delivering climate change strategy and environmental sustainability. This statement sets out the College’s commitment to modernising its infrastructure and business operations within the constraints of its historic setting so that the College is as environmentally sustainable as possible.

Slindon College identifies that its activities have both a direct and indirect impact on the environment. The College commits to reducing its environmental impact and contribution to climate change as an integral part of its business strategy and operating methods. To support our commitment, we will:

Curriculum Offer 

• Provide opportunities for our pupils to connect with the outdoors, nature and biodiversity throughout the curriculum.
• Raise pupil awareness f and limit waste in the College and local environment.
• Support our pupils to develop the ability to recognise and act upon environmental issues.
• Incorporate real-world data, themes, and contexts into the curriculum. For example, use climatic trends in math problems or governmental biodiversity reports in science lessons.
• Provide our pupils with relevant skills, values, and competencies to engage with sustainability challenges.
• Use active, participative, and experiential learning methods to engage learners and develop their understanding.
• Use interdisciplinary teaching and learning t embed sustainability into the curriculum.
• Involve pupils as a key resource for input and feedback.
• Termly focus on environmental interests linked to pupil voice.

Staff - communicate the importance of environmental sustainability amongst our staff and ensure understanding of the importance of implementation of environmental measures.

Community - raise awareness of key environmental issues amongst our pupils and by doing so encourage them to take an active role in environmental projects and reducing our environmental impact. Additionally, we will develop relationships with parents and external organisations to promote environmentally friendly behaviour both within and outside of school.

Energy Efficiency and Emissions - take action to reduce our energy use and direct and indirect emissions to the maximum extent possible.

Waste - reduce our consumption of materials and other resources, reuse what we can and recycle those materials that are beyond their useful life.

Supply Chain - minimise the procurement and use of non-renewable and environmentally unfriendly resources.

Legal - monitor this Statement to ensure that we conduct our activities in full knowledge of, and in compliance with, all environmental laws and relevant standards and practices.

In delivering on this statement, Slindon College is committed to a program of continual improvement and will set targets and measure progress against them. We will communicate internally and externally the Statement on a regular basis.

Our environmental performance and adherence with this Statement is our responsibility collectively as a school and as individuals. All members of our community have a responsibility for adherence to the principles of the Statement.

Environmental Sustainability Implementation

Inside the school buildings we will specifically:

Paper

• Reduce the use of paper through greater use of technology.
• Seek to buy recycled and recyclable paper products.
• Reuse and recycle paper where possible.

Litter and waste

• Work with pupils and staff to reduce waste and litter.

Energy Efficiency

• Switch off lighting and electrical equipment when not in use.
• Use time clock switches for external lighting and other equipment where possible.
• Where possible, install LED and/or movement sensitive lights.
• Maximise the use of natural light where possible.
• Monitor energy consumption in buildings via smart meters.
• Close windows at the end of the day and when rooms are not in use to avoid heat loss.
• Modify heating control systems to deliver energy savings.
• Identify and implement effective energy-saving measures where possible and reasonably practicable, e.g. installation of modern boilers, insulation, consider the use of alternative sources of energy such as solar power where possible.
• Ensure refurbishment projects conform to high environmental standards where these are consistent with good financial management.

Water

• Establish and raise awareness of simple actions that can cut down on water use.
• Build awareness of the link between water use and financial cost.
• Monitor water usage and identify and implement effective additional measures to reduce water use or to harness rain water.

Recycling

• Promote greater levels of recycling throughout school.
• Expand the range of items recycled.
• Reduce the consumption of single-use plastics.

Books, Equipment and Uniform

• Reduce use of paper textbooks and other books wherever possible.
• Offer outdated or unwanted equipment and clothing to other schools, organisations and charities.
• Enable the selling of second-hand uniform.

Food Supplies

• Require our catering operation to use local suppliers wherever possible.
• Reduce consumption of meat, ‘Meat Free Monday’ and encourage other more environmentally friendly menus.
• Actively reduce food waste through menu planning, production efficiencies and using leftover food wherever possible.

Purchasing

• Reduce the carbon footprint of suppliers by procuring goods and services from local suppliers wherever possible.
• Purchase energy from a green supply source where possible and consistent with good financial management.

In the wider community we will specifically:

Transport

• Raise awareness of the impact of transport on the environment and people's health.
• Raise awareness of the impact if idling cars on the environment and people’s health.
• Encourage staff, and pupils, to reduce single occupancy car use and car share where possible subject to school rules.
• Encourage staff to commute to school using environmentally-friendly methods (walking, cycling, public transport and school buses) and provide a cycle rack.
• Encourage greater use of electric vehicles by staff and parents by installing an appropriate number of electric charging points.
• Maintain school vehicles rigorously to ensure efficiency.

Maintenance and Cleaning

• Use cleaning materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible.
• Use licenced and appropriate organisations to dispose of waste.
• Use environmentally friendly materials as much as possible in maintenance and refurbishment projects.

Litter

• Encourage all members of the school community to be involved in helping to prevent and clear left litter from the school grounds.
• Encourage pupils to regard litter clearing in the local community as a positive environmental action, which will also help foster a sense of personal pride and responsibility.

School Grounds

• Use the school grounds as a source of teaching and learning opportunity for pupils including the study of flora and fauna and their habitat.
• Field to fork teaching concepts linking our school grounds to the curriculum.
• Improve use of the school grounds for recreational purposes by pupils as well as provision to undertake exercise.
• Develop areas of biodiversity and a strategy to encourage wildlife within the school grounds.
• Reduce our use of chemicals (fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides).