Waldegrave School is part of the growing global community taking positive action to tackle the negative impacts of climate change. We have embedded sustainability in our School Development Plan and are working hard to prioritise it into our thinking, culture and actions. We are aware of our role as a member of local and global communities and how we must lead by example. We need to be part of the ways our students, staff, parents and wider partnerships learn about environmental issues issues and work with with partnership groups to help find solutions.
As a school, we are optimistic about creating a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future—and we’re committed to being part of the solution.
And, of course, our students are the ones leading the way through their involvement in the School Eco-committee as well their impactful work as part of our Student Parliament.
We encourage all staff to be positive environmental role models, reflecting upon their personal and professional practices. This can include:
We expect all students to show an interest and concern for the environment. Many will find this a important part of their future careers and we are excited the think about the positive changes and solutions Waldegrave students will be part of.
The Waldegrave Eco-Committee is a key component within our student parliament and focuses on environmental and sustainability issues. The committee meets regularly and works alongside external agencies to understand the issues more deeply and get ideas of how other schools have successfully implemented change.
We ask our parents to help support our practices to be a responsible member of the global environmental community. On a practical level ensuring your student has a water bottle each day and helping to improve the air quality around our school by encouraging sustainable transportation options are a real help.
Eco-Schools – the Eco-Schools programme provides a simple, seven-step framework that looks at environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity-loss, or plastic pollution, empowering young people to make a difference in their school, local community and beyond.
Let’s Go Outside and Learn – this local Richmond-Upon-Thames community partnership helps us engage with our plentiful green spaces to support and enhance the lives of our school community. Staff have been working with students to increase planting in our break areas and increasing biodiversity across the site.
Our Air, Our Action – an initiative that works with schools across Kingston and Richmond to consider issues around pollution and air quality within the boroughs. Representatives from the organisation present several session to our KS3 students and work closely with a group of student volunteers as part of a series of workshops.
Across the curriculum, we integrate topics such as climate change, biodiversity, renewable energy, and responsible consumption to help students explore the impact of human activity on the planet. Whether in science, geography, design technology, or PDC, students are encouraged to think critically about environmental challenges and consider innovative, ethical solutions. Through project-based learning, eco-initiatives, and collaboration with sustainability-focused organisations, we aim to inspire a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who are empowered to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond.
When maintaining and developing our site, environmental and sustainability responsibilities always form part of our decision process. Where necessary, we will engage the advice of the appropriate professionals to help inform our decisions. Some ways we have improved our site and facilities are as follows. Continued improvement forms part of our Estate Management Strategy and School Development Plan.