Sustainability
Sustainability at St Michael’s CE Primary School
At St Michael’s CE Primary School, we are deeply committed to nurturing not only the minds and hearts of our pupils but also the world they will inherit. As a Church of England academy, our commitment to “Courage to Flourish in the Love of God” extends beyond the classroom to encompass the care and stewardship of God’s creation. Our sustainability initiatives reflect our core Christian values of love, hope, courage, community, trust, thankfulness, and forgiveness, guiding us to respect and protect the planet for current and future generations.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
We believe that sustainability is a collective responsibility and an essential part of living out our vision. At St Michael’s, we actively encourage every pupil, staff member, and family to be stewards of the environment by fostering awareness, responsibility, and action.
• Respect our world: We teach pupils to appreciate the beauty and fragility of the natural environment.
• Ready to take action: Our school community is empowered to make environmentally friendly choices daily.
• Responsible for creating a sustainable future: We understand that our actions today shape the world of tomorrow.
The Eco Warriors and Our Eco Code
Our passionate group of pupils, known as the Eco Warriors, lead the way in championing sustainability across our school. They embody our Eco Code, which serves as a pledge for all members of our community:
• Thankful for the beautiful world we live in
• Love for our planet and all its creatures
• Trust everyone to do their part
• Hope for a greener, cleaner future
• Community to share our knowledge and support each other
• Forgiveness to learn and grow from our mistakes
• Courage to take meaningful action
In short, our Eco Code inspires us to be respectful, proactive, and accountable in our journey towards a sustainable future.
Key Achievements and Partnerships
We are proud to be recognised for our environmental efforts through prestigious awards and partnerships that reinforce our commitment:
- Eco Award Green Flag with Distinction 2025 and 2026: This accolade recognises our school’s outstanding work in sustainability, highlighting our initiatives to reduce waste, conserve energy, and promote biodiversity within our grounds.
- Climate 180 Partner School: As part of the Climate 180 network, St Michael’s actively participates in campaigns and projects aimed at tackling climate change. This partnership provides valuable resources and connects us with a wider community dedicated to environmental justice and action.
- Modeshift approved Travel Plan 2026: we have a recognised plan in place to encourage healthier, safer and more sustainable journeys. It demonstrates our commitment to reducing car use and supporting travel by walking, cycling, public transport and shared transport
Let’s Go Zero Campaign: We are also proud participants in the Let’s Go Zero campaign, a nationwide initiative encouraging schools to reduce their carbon footprint to net zero. Through this campaign, we engage pupils and staff in practical actions such as energy conservation, reducing single-use plastics, and promoting sustainable travel. This campaign supports our vision by empowering pupils to be courageous leaders in climate action.
How Sustainability Connects with Our Vision and Values
Our sustainability work is a living example of our vision to “Courage to Flourish in the Love of God.” By caring for God’s creation, we help pupils flourish spiritually and emotionally, developing courage and hope in the face of environmental challenges. Our Eco Warriors demonstrate the values of:
• Courage: Taking bold steps to protect the environment
• Community: Working together to share knowledge and support sustainable practises
• Trust and Forgiveness: Learning from mistakes and trusting one another to make a difference
• Thankfulness and Love: Appreciating the natural world as a gift to cherish and protect
Through these values, we nurture responsible, compassionate pupils ready to contribute positively to society and the planet.
Climate Action Plan
We have developed a Climate Action Plan in line with the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and its expectation that education settings appoint a sustainability lead and have a plan in place. Our plan sets out practical actions across four key areas: reducing carbon emissions, adapting to climate change, protecting biodiversity, and strengthening climate education and green skills.
Our Sustainability Work
Our Bling Your Bike competition invited pupils to get creative by decorating their bikes with colourful, imaginative designs. It was a fun way to celebrate cycling, promote active travel and encourage everyone to make their bike stand out, while ensuring that all decorations were securely attached and did not affect the bike’s safe use.
We are very proud of Our School Street. This initiative temporarily restricts vehicle access around the school during drop-off and pick-up times. It has helped to create a safer, cleaner and calmer environment, encouraging more families to walk, cycle or scoot to school.
We are so grateful to Karl from Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. His Dr Bike sessions gave pupils and families the opportunity to have their bikes checked and receive minor repairs. By keeping bikes safe and in good condition, the sessions encouraged sustainable travel, extended the life of bicycles and helped reduce waste and reliance on cars.
Our fantastic Eco Warriors ran an energy-saving poster competition to raise awareness and encourage everyone to reduce energy use across the school. The winning posters were displayed as reminders to switch off lights, screens and other electrical equipment when they were not needed.
Every class in the school took part in planting flowers, herbs and vegetables to improve our outdoor spaces and support local wildlife. The activity helped pupils learn about biodiversity, caring for nature and the importance of creating a greener, more sustainable environment.
We’re very proud to have achieved the RHS gardening awards this year.
RHS School Gardening Award – Level 1
We achieved Level 1 by recognising the benefits of gardening, creating an accessible growing space and beginning to grow and care for plants.
RHS School Gardening Award – Level 2
We achieved Level 2 by involving pupils in our gardening plans, developing new practical gardening skills and using gardening to support health and wellbeing.
We raised awareness of the harmful effects of engine idling through school assemblies and newsletters. A new banner was also displayed on the school gates to remind drivers to switch off their engines, helping to reduce air pollution and create a healthier environment around our school.
Sustainability Across Our Curriculum
Sustainability is embedded throughout our curriculum, particularly in science and geography. Pupils explore topics such as climate change, habitats, biodiversity, renewable energy and the responsible use of natural resources, helping them understand how their choices can protect the planet and contribute to a more sustainable future.