Through pupils learned and lived experiences at Windmill Hill Academy from the Early Years to the end of Key Stage Two, we hope to inspire in our pupils a life-long passion and ambition to improve our environment, to work to reverse climate change and to take care and responsibility for their own actions. We will provide opportunities to develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the importance of nature, sustainability and the causes and impact of climate change and to translate this knowledge into positive action and solutions.
We want to develop pupils who:
- are passionate about the natural world
- want to do their best to protect it
- who can influence their wider communities
The enthusiasm of youth can inspire the whole of society to work together at the start of this crucial decade for the planet.
At Windmill Hill Academy, we ensure that our children are given opportunities to develop age-appropriate knowledge and understanding through a well-planned and delivered curriculum. See below for where climate change and sustainability features within our school initiatives and within the curriculum delivery in specific year groups.
Actions we are taking as a school to achieve this:
- Educating pupils about the impact of humans on our climate and environment, including how this endangers many species of animals and leads to climate disasters.
- National and Global Climate news will shared through lessons, Collective Worship and Picture News assemblies. Children will be taught to think critically about the issues, considering all points of view. They will be encouraged to debate, question and persuade.
- All pupils will take part in one geography climate focused theme topic a year.
- Through our collective worship and RE teaching, we explore many aspects of awe, wonder and spirituality with the children and how religion promotes taking care of the world and the animals in it.
- We will provide many enrichment activities to inspire pupil to courageous advocacy for example by taking part in global and national campaigns and through meeting climate ambassadors.
- In science, we will explore the issues and solutions around climate change and environmental damage.
- Initiatives to increase active and safe travel to school to improve wellbeing and reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality: Walk to School week. No parking in the car park except those with permits. Permits sourced or the local Council carpark.
- We will teach the pupils care and responsibility through working outside in our own grounds to plant and compost, as well as attend annually the Woodlands Centre to learn about climate issues.
- As a school, we will aim to reduce waste – paper, food, plastics and energy and will explore options for funding more sustainable sources for energy.
- Promotion of the UNICEF Rights of the Child, e.g. Article 24: You have the right to the best health care possible, safe water to drink, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to keep you safe and well. We are currently a Rights Respecting Schools with the bronze award status and working towards the Silver award.
- An active Pupil Parliament Eco group who is promoting actions to support sustainability and improve our environment.
- Water survey completed by South West Water (Autumn term 22) to quality assure water usage and change of plumbing, e.g. taps, to be more efficient.
- Uniform donation station which all parents can freely assess to promote re-using of school uniform. Purchase of new uniform is done through the online service so no left over stock is stored in school.
- Parental communication is mainly online this includes newsletters and ClassDojo updates to reduce paper wastage.
- Reducing food wastage by parents ordering school lunches via Edsupot.
- Further development of our school garden through funding, e.g. Youth/Town Council, to support climate change and sustainability learning and projects.
- Attendance to the Youth Town Council with a focus on the sustainability for Launceston.
SUSTAINABILITY LOGO WINNER
A huge well done to Morwenna in Year 6 who has been chosen by our Eco Pupil Parliament group as the winner of the Sustainability Logo competition!
I think you'll agree that it represents our sustainability work brilliantly but, at the same time, is based on our school's current logo. It certainly demonstrates wonderful creativity!
Morwenna's achievement was celebrated in today's assembly and she was presented with a prize (growing her own sunflowers).
The sustainability logo will now feature on our school's documentation.
WHA'S COMMUNITY LARDER
Windmill Hill Academy's Community Larder is officially open!
Our School Forum Pupil Parliament came up with this excellent idea for promoting sustainability within our local community.
They would like families and local communities to donate any fruit, vegetables or plants that they do not need. For example, they may have grown too many plants or have left over fruit/vegetables which they are not going to use.
And then other families and the local community can take what they need. There is no charge. It is simply to support our local community and promote sustainability by limiting waste.
The Community Larder shed is positioned at the front of the school for ease. It will be open during the school day and locked overnight. If members of the community which to use it, they are to ring the front door buzzer.
Items must be in date and are only to be fruit, vegetables or plants. Please no perishable items or items that will go off easily.
Just feel free to drop in donations into the allocated baskets if you can and take what you need when you need it.
We hope you can make use of it.