Sustainability
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability means “Meeting our own needs without compromising the wellbeing of future generations to meet their own needs”
It requires us to accept that resources are finite and should not be taken for granted, but instead used conservatively and wisely with a view to reducing the negative impact of our operations on the future wellbeing of our planet, our children and our grandchildren.
At Plashet the professionals, parents and pupils that make up our community are acutely aware of the importance of Sustainability and we are proud of the steps we are taking to promote this.
Teaching and Learning
At Plashet School we actively raise awareness of environmental issues and Sustainability through education. Much of the national curriculum covers topics that relate to Sustainability in Science and Geography, with other relevant factors relating to social equity and economic growth developed across subject in History, Business Studies, Philosophy, Religion and Ethics.
Supplementing our outstanding teaching, our wide range of extracurricular activities enhance our students understanding of Sustainability. Our STEM Club has achieved national recognition, winning awards from Solutions for the Planet for their innovative and inspirational designs. Our Greenhouse Club gives students the opportunity to grow and care for the house plants used to breathe life into our classrooms, corridors and offices as well as tend to an allotment area situated on the premises.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on to have the air that we breathe and the food that we eat.
At Plashet we are mindful of the negative impact of our operations on the environment and we are keen to protect and enhance the limited spaces we have to improve biodiversity. With this in mind we created a Living Roof atop our South Annex Building and from maintaining our allotment, lawn and trees to dedicating spaces to wildflowers in order to provide habitats for pollinators, we hope to inspire our students to appreciate the importance of Biodiversity.
We have recently partnered with Trees for Cities, a national and international charity who have planted nearly two million trees to help improve air quality, among numerous other social and environmental initiatives. Working alongside both staff and students, Trees for Cities aim to help us improve our green infrastructure to support health, wellbeing, educational and environmental outcomes. Specifically, Trees for Cities will be helping us to screen our North Playground from vehicle generated pollutants on Plashet Grove, but their consultants have also been able to provide valuable, specialist advice on increasing biodiversity across the entire premises.
Energy Management
As a maintained school we are led by the local authority, the London Borough of Newham, in our attempts to meet government targets with regard to Sustainability and Net Zero. ‘Net Zero’ refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal from the atmosphere. The term ‘net zero’ refers to the state at which global warming stops.
Large scale investment has been provided by LBN to install energy efficient LED lighting and heating systems on the premises and although this work remains incomplete, it is expected to significantly reduce energy consumption at Plashet School.
In addition, we have also introduced Electric Vehicle Charge Points, Photovoltaic (solar panel) systems and occupancy switching to further complement our joint efforts reach Net Zero. The majority of these energy saving measures were designed into the construction of our newest building, The South Annex, on the instruction of school leaders and after consultation with our student council. As refurbishment work to our older buildings takes place, it will be designed with energy saving in mind.
With the support of the Climate Action Team at the London Borough of Newham, we are delighted to have secured funding from Salix Finance and The Low Carbon Skills Fund. Salix provides grants for public sector organisations to engage specialist and expert advice and skills needed to create robust heat decarbonisation plans to prepare for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency works. This is a significant boost for the school and our journey towards Net Zero – having a detailed design proposal will strengthen applications for funding to deliver further capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects at the school.
The Schools Display Energy Certificate (DEC) rating is currently D. The typical rating for a non-domestic public building is D.
Water Management
The school site is compact and with green space at a premium, managing rainwater run-off is challenging. With the support of LBN we have recently installed ‘SuDS’ Planters to our piazza, growing edible herbs. ‘SuDS’ stands for ‘Sustainable Drainage System’ and reduces the risk of flooding in the sewer network whilst improving water quality to our streams and rivers, creating a healthier, more sustainable environment for everyone to enjoy.
We are also doing what we can to ensure we do not waste water. Refurbished toilet blocks feature water saving dual flush cisterns and non-concussive taps that produce a timed flow of water and cannot be left to run.
Travel
The majority of our 1500 students live within walking distance of school. We therefore encourage parents to consider refraining from driving their children to school and to seek a more sustainable means of travel. With two major bus routes on Plashet Grove and the junction with the High Street in close proximity to the school, vehicle traffic is heavy at peak times and the harmful emissions from idling cars impact the health and wellbeing of all members of our community by reducing the quality of air that they breathe. Heavy traffic also jeopardises pedestrian safety increasing the likelihood of a collision.