Embedded Files
Surrey Square is a two-from entry primary school and is one of the 9 schools that serve the Aylesbury Estate in South East London. Just a mile from the river Thames at London Bridge, it does seem a world away. Our school serves ‘the global majority’, since 90% of pupils are from non-white British heritages. A large number of our families hail from West Africa, and we also have families from Bangladesh, Somali, Algeria, Peru, Columbia, Poland, Jamaica, Lithuania, Pakistan…and many other places! Many of our families face financial insecurity with 85% sitting in the lowest band on the IDACI indicator of deprivation. We have 54% pupil premium with a further 8% having No Recourse to Funds. 25% of our families are currently living in temporary accommodation.
Baseline Data: Eco- Anxiety at SSQ
What does the data say?
What does the data say?
Our Year 4 children took the eco-anxiety survey and 85% of the children showed that they were concerned about the climate crisis.
What do the children say?
What do the children say?
"I am worried that if the government keeps doing nothing then the future is going to be really horrible for the next generation and the earth may not be able to keep all this Co2. We must act now!" (Yr 4 pupil)
Actions
Here are our 3 actions and more details about each one below:
- Eco TEAM:
contributing to more greener choices for the school
contributing to more greener choices for the school
(Ethos)
2. Curriculum Project:
2. Curriculum Project:
providing chn with reliable information on climate mitigation and empowering them to take action
providing chn with reliable information on climate mitigation and empowering them to take action
(Educate)
3. Eco Garden:
3. Eco Garden:
increase nature connectedness
increase nature connectedness
(Environment)
1. Eco Team
1. Eco Team
What?
The Eco Team is a group of Key Stage 2 children including Year 4. The Eco Team was set up to empower our children to take action towards the climate crisis. They are the voice of the children and contribute to more greener choices for the school. Their first job was working with an outside auditor to see how eco efficient our school building was. They used heat sensors (see photo left) to find where we need better windows/doors to help with wasted heat/energy loss or where windows were being left open and the consequences of this! A report was compiled and our operations team are actioning this. So far they have also ensured that there are separate bins on the playground for food waste, recycling and general waste. They are now helping to create a bio-diversity area in our playground - watch this space!!
Why?
It is critical that children are a key part of green choices being made by schools. Children need to be fully involved in actions that aim to reduce climate change in order to reduce any anxiety they are feeling about the situation.
How?
The Eco Team meet fortnightly with our eco lead staff member.
They send out regular surveys to children and make themselves approachable in the playground for other children to talk to.
They share feedback in assemblies.
2. Curriculum Project
2. Curriculum Project
What?
The Green Schools Project offer a programme (Zero Carbon Schools) to teach children about climate change and their own school's carbon footprint. It is a cross-curricular programme for Years 4 – 8 with links to science, geography, maths, English, PSHE and art. As a result of the programme, pupils will:
Learn more about climate change and feel empowered to take action in their school community
Develop leadership, communication, problem solving and teamwork skills
Calculate an estimate of their school’s carbon emissions
Lead meaningful projects to reduce the school’s carbon footprint
Why?
We know that the curriculum does not offer enough content related to the climate crisis. We wanted to plug this gap. We found The Green Schools Project and they offered a programme (Zero Carbon Schools) that would help to plug this gap. Due to the high eco-anxiety in Year 4, we decided that this was the year group we wanted to target. Taking action is also a key way of reducing this eco-anxiety.
How?
Class teachers teach a 1 hour weekly session for this project.
Green Schools Project supply teachers with resources and training needed for the programme.
3. Eco Garden
3. Eco Garden
What?
At SSQ we have a polytunnel where food is grown to be used for school lunches. It sits on top of our kitchen building and a variety of herbs and vegetables are grown inside.
We are developing a separate bio-diversity area in the playground which will provide homes to a variety of animals and insects.
Why?
Increasing nature-connectedness plays a critical role in reducing eco-anxiety in the young. Both of these areas offer a chance for children to connect in a deep way with nature. It is also critical for children to see food grown and then turned into their own lunches in order for them to understand where food comes from.
How?
Children access the polytunnel through enrichment clubs and curriculum science units.
The bio-diversity garden is accessed during all play times.
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